Tottenham learn price to sign 'next Vincent Kompany' as transfer talks ramp up

Tottenham are reportedly in club-to-club talks with Genoa to explore the signing of Koni de Winter - a Belgian defender dubbed 'the next Vincent Kompany'. De Winter spent six years contracted to Italian giants Juventus before moving on in search of regular first-team football, and his impressive performances in central defence have alerted some of Europe's top sides.

After dispensing with Ange Postecoglou and hiring Thomas Frank in his place, Spurs have set about bolstering their squad ahead of the new season. Loan moves for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have been made permanent, while a hefty £55million fee has been splashed on Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.

But the Tottenham hierarchy are not done there. Alongside their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White, which has been put on hold by a legal complaint from Nottingham Forest, the north Londoners have reportedly stepped up their interest in De Winter.

According to The i, Spurs have learned that £22m would likely be enough for Genoa to sanction a summer sale, and the Premier League outfit have progressed from registering their interest with De Winter's agent to holding discussions with the Serie A club themselves.

As a full Belgian international at 23 years old, and having impressed in Italy over the past two and a half seasons, Tottenham are not expected to get a free run.

The report adds that Bournemouth are also keen on De Winter as they scour the market for candidates to replace Dean Huijsen, who joined Real Madrid in June. And then there is Inter Milan, who are said to be 'further along' than Spurs in negotiations with Genoa and can offer the player an opportunity to stay in Italy.

Standing 6ft 3in tall with an ability to drive out from the back, De Winter has often been likened to Manchester City legend and four-time Premier League winner Kompany, and the youngster is understandably flattered by the comparisons.

He told The i earlier this year: "It's a really big name, so I one day hope to be able to live up to him. You look at the other big names [who went from Belgium to the Premier League] and it is only right that they ended playing up in the best competitions.

"I just want to come as far as possible. It's not that I say I have to play Premier League or I have to play Bundesliga, I just want the best, the best for myself. The Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world, so yes, I hear some nice things."