Tottenham ready to move for Atalanta midfielder, reports

Among a weekend filled with exciting football, from Bayer Leverkusen's winning the Bundesliga in a 5-0 thrashing, to Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Enfield, there were a plethora of underdog stories playing out.

However, perhaps the biggest and most surprising one in recent times came last week, when Atalanta beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Europa League at the English club's home ground; and, coincidentally, it seems that Spurs are now interested in acquiring the services of a player from that very same Serie A-side.

According to TeamTalk, Tottenham are "step[ping] up their efforts" to sign the club's 24-year-old center defensive-midfielder, Ederson.

The Brazilian has made 77 appearances across all competitions for the Italian club, including eight games of Europa League football where his club currently hold a 3-0 lead on aggregate in the quarter finals.

In recent weeks, the Tottenham faithful have taken to social media, criticizing Ange Postecoglou for continuing to put his faith in Yves Bissouma to hold down the central three.

For anyone used to watching 'Ange-ball' in action, they'll know that the dangerously high-line at the back requires a defensive midfielder to be ready to retreat during counter-attacks. However, Bissouma has often found himself caught out of position in such instances, way too far up the pitch.

As a result, much of the defensive burden has fallen on Micky van de Ven, and though he's recorded as the fastest player in the Premier League, that hasn't always been enough (if last week's result is anything to go by).

With a change to the crucial midfield role, it could potentially help to plug the gap that's led to some of Tottenham's defensive woes this season.

Transfermarkt currently values Ederson at €30.00m (£25.6), a decent-sized sum, but all the same a reasonable price considering that Spurs paid Brighton €29.20m for Biss.

A lot can happen between now and the start of next season, including the potential exit of another Tottenham midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Nevertheless, such a switch would only further justify Spurs' advancements on an Ederson deal.