Talks opened: Conte could form frightening Spurs unit by signing £40.5m-rated "beast" - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur’s attentions have seemingly turned to Diego Carlos in a bid to bolster Antonio Conte’s backline.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that Spurs had joined Newcastle United in race to sign him during the January transfer window and with just a few days left to go, time may be running out to secure him.

It does appear as if the north London outfit have a trick up their sleeve, though.

According to Football Insider, Spurs have opened preliminary talks with Sevilla over a potential swap deal involving Giovani Lo Celso for the 28-year-old centre-back.

Conte is said to be in the market for a new central defender during the final few days of the window.

Carlos is valued at £50m by the LaLiga outfit but the Lilywhites are hoping that Lo Celso going in the other direction can sweeten the deal.

There’s no denying, the Brazilian colossus would be an instant upgrade to the Italian’s defence, especially alongside summer signing Cristian Romero and Eric Dier, who Conte believes can become one of the best in the world.

The trio would be a frightening prospect for any Premier League frontline. You’ve got two physical and aggressive animals in Carlos and Romero and an exceptional ball-playing option between them in Dier.

Just two seasons ago, the 6 foot 1 star won the Europa League with the Rojiblancos, where he played a regular and starring role. That campaign saw him record a whopping 21 clean sheets in all competitions, including one against Lionel Messi and co, which is impressive.

He formed a solid partnership with Jules Kounde at the back, averaging a squad-high 2.8 aerial duels won, 1.1 tackles and an 88.3% passing accuracy per league outing, via WhoScored.

That aerial ability could certainly set him