Report: Conte wants to see 23-year-old Tottenham man play in pre-season before deciding whether to get rid of him

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte faces a decision over Japhet Tanganga’s future this summer, with the Daily Express reporting that the Italian wants to watch the player before deciding his fate.

Tanganga is currently being put through his paces in South Korea with the Spurs squad after they set out for their pre-season tour on Saturday.

But according to the Daily Express, the 23-year-old has attracted interest from AC Milan and Bournemouth, as well as other clubs so far in the summer window.

The latest update claims that Tanganga’s representatives even held a meeting with the Milan club in recent weeks, while Bournemouth are keen on a loan deal.

However, Conte holds the England U21 International in ‘high regard’ and wants to assess his performances during pre-season.

If Tanganga impresses the Tottenham boss in the coming weeks, it seems that he could be kept around for another season.

But should his standards drop, it could be that the academy graduate is given permission to leave the North London club this summer.

Tanganga needs first-team football

At the age of 23, Tanganga is no longer a youngster and needs first-team football. He made 11 appearances in the Premier League last season and five of them came under Conte’s predecessor, Nuno Espirito Santo.

He did start a flurry of games under Conte in November but has since struggled to nail down a starting place. This is mainly down to the relationships Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies have built in Spurs’ three-man defence.

Tanganga was also sidelined from February for the remainder of last season after suffering a knee injury.

TBR’s View: Fikayo Tomori Could Be An Example For Japhet Tanganga

A move abroad and to the Serie A holders could be a perfect move for Tanganga and ex-Chelsea centre-back Fikayo Tomori is a prime example of this.

Tomori recently forced his way into the England set-up and earned his first cap after an excellent season in Italy. If the Tottenham defender is to develop in a similar way, he’ll need first-team football, whether that is at Tottenham or elsewhere.