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Fabio Paratici is making progress in his talks with Cagliari over the possibility of Tottenham signing Nahitan Nandez, according to reports.

So far, in his first summer as Tottenham managing director, Paratici has overseen the signings of Pierluigi Gollini, Cristian Romero and Bryan Gil. More could yet be on the way, though. Spurs are still considering strengthening the spine of their team.

One more defender could be required, while a striker would become a priority if Harry Kane were to leave. At present, though, the area Paratici is focusing on is central midfield.

Cagliari star Nandez emerged as a target for Spurs recently, after previous links with Leeds. West Ham have also joined the race for his signature after a transfer to Inter collapsed.

But it seems Tottenham remain in pole position for the Uruguay international. In fact, Calciomercato.it claim Paratici is in negotiations with Cagliari for Nandez, who now looks more likely to move to the Premier League than stay in Serie A.

They are working to find an agreement on a loan with an obligation to buy formula. Tottenham could pay up to €6m to take Nandez for the 2021-22 season, before a further payment of €20m would be required to make the transfer permanent – depending on certain conditions.

Calciomercato claim the deal seems “close” to completion and Nandez is “fast approaching” Tottenham.

Once again, Paratici has used his knowledge of the Serie A market to provisionally bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. Gollini and Romero also arrived from Italy, having both played for Atalanta last season. Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and Fiorentina pair Dusan Vlahovic and Nikola Milenkovic have also been on their radar.

The latter is definitely off the menu for now, though, after signing a new contract in Florence.

But one deal that seems more likely to come to a successful conclusion for Tottenham is that of Nandez.

The 25-year-old has made 72 appearances across two seasons with Cagliari after arriving in Europe from Boca Juniors. He has been a full international for Uruguay since 2019 and has 67 caps to his name.

Nandez to replace Ndombele?

News of Tottenham’s pursuit of Nandez comes after it was reported that Tanguy Ndombele will be looking to leave the club this summer.

As per Football Insider, Ndombele has informed Daniel Levy he wants to quit. They write that Tottenham’s record signing has his future very much up in the air. With less than two weeks left in the window, he reportedly wants a move before the window shuts on August 31.

The French midfielder was absent as Nuno’s side beat Man City in their opener. As such, the £55m signing in 2019 reportedly feels he no longer has a future at the club. His absence against City appears to have brought matters to a head.

He apparently made his stance clear earlier in the summer. That has been a key factor over his omission.

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As a result, he’s seemingly been frozen out of Nuno’s plans even though he is fit and available to play. He’s also not been registered as a player for the Europa Conference League, which begins on Thursday night. And even though Spurs will field a weakened side, the former Lyon man won’t be a part of the action.

Finding a buyer, however, will not come easy. Spurs would, it’s reported, prefer a straight cash sale but finding someone to spend even half of their investment might not be easy.

READ MORE: Tottenham, Kane implications noted after Lewandowski revelation rocks Bayern

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