Antonio Conte is still looking to conclude his first piece of major transfer business as Tottenham head coach this month, with less than one week left in the transfer window.
The Italian has seen an upturn in Premier League results since his arrival, but the manager hasn't been coy about the fact that he needs to bring players in this month.
Despite that, Spurs are still awaiting their first signing of the new year, with Wolves winger Adama Traore expected to complete a move before the end of the window. However, a new potential transfer target has emerged, with FC Porto’s Luis Diaz said to be of interest to the Lilywhites.
According to SICNoticias, Tottenham have tabled an offer for Diaz that could be worth as much as £46million, including bonuses.
football.london understands that Fabio Paratici has made enquiries with Porto and the player's representatives about the possibility of bringing him to north London this month.
But just who is the winger and what would he bring to the club if he joined? Here, football.london takes a closer look at the player.
Who is Luis Diaz?
25-year-old Diaz is a left-winger, born in Barrancas, Colombia.
He predominantly plays on the left-wing, though has played slightly deeper and has played on the right-wing before.
Diaz currently plays for FC Porto, who he joined in 2019 from Columbian side Atletico Junior FC for roughly £6.5million.
He is also a senior Columbian international, having made 31 appearances for his nation since his debut in 2018.
What would he bring to the club?
Antonio Conte has previously bemoaned his lack of attacking midfield options, with Lucas Moura of Son Heung-min his only consistent options to play behind Harry Kane.
Given the fact that an exit appears to be nearing for trio Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso, the need for an attacking midfield option is greatly increasing.
Diaz’s ability to play on the left and the right means that he can play any of the sides behind the striker, while he averages over one goal contribution per 90 minutes in the league.
The Columbian averages 0.20 xA (expected assists) per 90, which is above average in the top five leagues in Europe, highlighting just how creative he can be.
Where Diaz excels is in his dribbling ability. His 2.91 dribbles completed per 90 is among the top 10% in Europe’s top five leagues, with 5.44 penalty box touches equally in the upper percentiles.
The winger currently outperforms all of the other Spurs options in this role in terms of shooting and dribbling, though it must be accounted for that he is playing in a different league.
There’s also playmaking to factor in, where Diaz currently registers 2.2 key passes per 90 compared to 1.3 from Moura and 1.9 from Son.
The Porto player provides a different option to play in a front three trident and could potentially play at left-wing-back if desperately needed.
