Conte can now axe "average" £43m dud as Spurs plot £16.75m bid for "young Gareth Bale" - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have discovered the asking price for Antonio Conte’s reported summer transfer target, Aaron Hickey.

According to Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (via Viola News), Bologna will command a €20m (£16.75m) fee in order to part with the left-back this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all reported to be keeping a close eye on the Scotland international ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Considering just how impressive Hickey has been in Italy this season, in addition to the fact that Sergio Reguilon has been heavily linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the current campaign, it is not difficult to see why Conte would be interested in a move for the 19-year-old defender this summer.

Indeed, despite his tender age, the £16.75m-rated full-back has highly impressed over his 33 Serie A appearances this term, scoring five goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 81.5% of his passes, 0.92 dribbles and 13 defensive pressures per 90 minutes in the league.

These returns have seen the £16k-per-week prodigy come in for a considerable amount of praise, with the Spanish press dubbing the teenager a talent in the mould of a “young Gareth Bale,” while Austin MacPhee claimed that Hickey’s positional versatility could end up seeing him “being like [Sergio] Busquets.”

Meanwhile, for comparison, over Reguilon’s 25 Premier League outings this season, the £25m-rated left-back has scored two goals, provided three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing an average of 75.5% of his passes, 0.85 dribbles and 14 defensive pressures