Tottenham made an offer of 20m euros for the signature of Mikkel Damsgaard, but his club, Sampdoria has rejected it.
The Dane was one of the stars of Euro 2020 and several clubs want to sign him.
Spurs know they have serious competition in the race for his signature and they have moved to steal a march on the others.
La Repubblica via Tuttomercatoweb says the Italians turned their offer down and are holding out for 40m euros before they will sell him.
This effectively means that Tottenham would have to double their offer to get their man.
The 21-year-old scored two goals at the Euros including a stunning free-kick against England in the semi-finals.
His performance in the competition shows that he can thrive in the Premier League, but Tottenham is facing serious competition in their bid to sign him.
The report claims that Juventus also wants him and that could be a problem for the Lilywhites.
The Old Lady are accustomed to signing the top players from other Serie A clubs and they would offer him a sure path towards winning trophies if he moves there.
Most players, however, dream of competing in the Premier League and that could be an advantage for Tottenham.