Tottenham Hotspur appear to have made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Wolves winger Adama Traore, who has long been a target of Antonio Conte and the North London club.
As football.london reported yesterday, Tottenham and Wolves remain in discussions regarding Traore, who has caught the eye of Tottenham's managing director of football Fabio Paratici after he tried to sign the slippery winger at Juventus.
And this morning (Saturday), Fabrizio Romano reported on Twitter that Spurs are confident of signing Traore before the end of the window.
He says "Spurs are on it" as negotiations with Wolves continue in the coming hours and days and that personal terms have already been agreed.
Traore is out of contract at the end of next season and has been a long-term target for the North London club. He will not extend his deal with Wolves and manager Bruno Lage having accepted the winger's future is out of his hands.
"The club talk with him and he talks with them and they will decide the future," he admitted, though insisted that he was pleased with his work-rate and focus, adding: "I’m happy with him, it’s the only thing I can say. He’s focused, he’s ready."
Conte, meanwhile, has said he is eager for the club to bolster the squad as they push for the top four, with Traore seen as offering depth at right wing and right wing-back.
"I made evaluations about the squad but I have spoken with the club and I hope the club will listen to me," the manager said.
The 25-year-old's searing speed, frightening dribbling skills and goal threat would certainly provide something different to a team that will have to win in a variety of ways in the coming months.
New signing Emerson Royal has impressed at times in an offensive sense at right-wing-back, but Matt Doherty has been in and out of the team, while a further offensive weapon to support Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura would not go amiss.
The top-four race continues this weekend as Tottenham face Chelsea and Arsenal play Burnley, while West Ham and Manchester United face off in a crucial contest.
If Spurs to pick up a win against Chelsea, not only could they establish themselves firmly in the race for the Champions League, they could even pull Chelsea into the fight.
And so, with every point invaluable, adding key pieces to the squad before the final run-in could be the difference between Champions League or not come the end of the season.
Conte is aiming to establish himself in North London and mark his identity on the squad - achieving a top-four finish in his first season would be a major step in the right direction.
