This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Youcef Atal from Nice, per 90min.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has enjoyed a rapid rise during his time at the French club and has made 10 appearances in Ligue 1 this season.

The report states that Spurs are not the only club interested, with north London rivals Arsenal, as well as Chelsea, also said to be keen on bringing the full-back to the Premier League.

A versatile presence on the right flank, Atal can play at right-back or on the right wing and has already scored once and registered two assists this term.

A dribbling machine

Atal would be something of a perfect fit for a team that are consistently looking to move the ball to the flanks and attack.

Indeed, per WhoScored, the full-back averages 4.4 dribbles per game in Ligue 1; Serge Aurier, by comparison, averages 1.1 in the Premier League, while Kyle Walker-Peters averages 1.7.

Atal is also fouled 2.2 times per game and takes 1.9 shots per game, while making 1.4 tackles and 1.9 interceptions.

This is an attack-minded full-back who knows exactly how to get forward and influence the game in the final third.

It remains to be seen where he will end up but, in Spurs’ first two games under his management, Jose Mourinho has deployed Aurier as a more attacking defender; he scored against Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Atal could be the perfect defender for his new-look Spurs, then.

In other news, Tottenham fans laid into one man after their latest Champions League win…