Tottenham have gone all out to sign defender Cristian Romero by offering Atalanta more than €50million - around £43million - for the Argentine.
The centre back is managing director Fabio Paratici's No 1 defensive target this summer and Spurs have been negotiating with the Serie A side, who were said to want around £45million.
Spurs have made their intentions clear by seeking to meet Atalanta's demands, with the Italian side open to the deal but only if they can have more time to secure a replacement, according to Sky Sport Italia.
With the Premier League starting before Serie A, however, Nuno Espirito Santo's side are keen to close the deal in enough time for Romero, 23, to be ready for the start of the season.
In addition, Fabrizio Romano reported that Romero is keen on the move to north London and is keen for negotiations to be completed as soon as possible, which could bolster Spurs' position.
Tottenham were reportedly competing with Barcelona for Romero's signature, with the Catalans making an offer which would have seen some of their players join Atalanta in a swap deal, but the Serie A side rejected it.
Romero played a key role in helping Atalanta qualify for the Champions League once again. The centre back scored three goals and made five assists in 42 appearances last term, when he was crowned Serie A's 'Defender of the Season'.
He was also part of the Argentina squad that won the Copa America earlier this month, with Lionel Scaloni's side keeping a clean sheet in each of the three games he played.