‘In these hours’ - Journalist makes Tottenham transfer claim involving £40.5m-rated 'beast'

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist Marco Conterio of TUTTOmercatoWEB has made a big Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Sevilla defender Diego Carlos.

One of manager Antonio Conte’s four main transfer priorities at Spurs at the start of January was the signing of a world class, first team-level centre-half to reinforce the Lilywhites backline (Alasdair Gold).

As Tottenham close in on both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur of Juventus, there has been little progress made in going for a defender this window, although there have been links.

Middlesbrough starlet Djed Spence is apparently a target while the likes of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and Serie A star Matthijs de Ligt have been mentioned most recently.

Sharing a big development in their hunt for a capable defensive addition, Conterio claims that managing director Fabio Paratici is now ‘working in these hours’ on a late move for Sevilla star Carlos (Twitter).

He even says that Tottenham have proposed a swap deal, which includes midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, as Paratici aims to snap up the 28-year-old in a surprise late move.

Signing the Brazil international ace would be a major eleventh hour coup for Conte and the club, not to mention a real statement of intent from the side of Tottenham.

Only in-form Spurs defender Eric Dier has averaged more clearances per 90 (3.7) than Carlos (3.6) over his league appearances this season (WhoScored), potentially highlighting how he would be a solid partner for the Englishman in defence.

Valued at around £40.5m by Transfermarkt, the player has also been called a ‘beast’ by Spanish football expert Domagoj Kostanjšak.

It is a move which could be riddled with difficulties, and perhaps unlikely, but it’s