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Tottenham have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone as a possible replacement for club legend Hugo Lloris.

The Frenchman turns 35 next month and will be out of contract at the end of the season, with no signs yet that a new deal will be done. That has led to plenty of speculation that Spurs are ready to move on from the World Cup winner after what will be a decade of service.

Tottenham did sign Pierluigi Gollini on a loan to buy deal last summer. But most of his minutes have come in the Europa Conference League. To that end, he is yet to really prove that he is the long-term answer.

Manchester United stopper Dean Henderson is also thought to be on Fabio Paratici’s radar. However, the Daily Mail claims that Spurs are keen on Johnstone – given that he too will be out on contract in the summer of 2022.

The report confirms that Lloris has yet to have any discussions with the club over his future. To that end, it appears highly likely that he will move and can talk to foreign clubs from January.

As for his potential replacement, Johnstone was outstanding during the Baggies’ relegation season. Indeed, it was a major surprise that Albion were able to keep his services for this season.

The 28-year-old led the Premier League for saves. He finished a full 19 ahead of Aaron Ramsdale, who has been superb since joining Arsenal over the summer.

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Tottenham chasing Serie A playmaker

Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly keen on sealing a deal for a top Roma attacker who is struggling for game time under former Spurs chief Jose Mourinho.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici brought in plenty of top young talent over the summer, including the likes of Cristian Romero, Bryan Gil, Emerson Royal and Pape Matar Sarr. And it would appear that he is targeting another in the form of Italy star Nicolo Zaniolo next summer.

Antonio Conte knows Zaniolo’s qualities well from his time managing Juventus and Inter Milan and is a big admirer.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who can also play wide, has made 84 appearances for Roma in the last three seasons. However, he has struggled for minutes under Mourinho this season, playing just 11 times in all competitions.

Now Calciomercato reports that Zaniolo could be handed an escape route by Spurs.

The report adds that he could be available for around €40million. That is largely down to the fact that he enter the final two years of his contract next summer.

Conte wants to add more attacking talent to a Tottenham team that has struggled for goals in the league. Indeed, Spurs have notched just 11 times in 12 Premier League outings.

The Spurs chief is also expected to be busy in January. He is expected to land at least one new centre-back and a striker to ease the burden on Harry Kane. A more creative central midfield option could also be on the cards.

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