Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has given the club the thumbs up to sign Leeds United winger Dan James, believes Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

Spurs are said to be pursuing the 24-year-old ahead of tonight's transfer deadline, and Bridge thinks he is the sort of player Conte would welcome to Hotspur Way.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

What is the latest news involving James?

According to 90min, Tottenham have James on their shortlist as they look to bring in another wing-back and attacker before the market closes.

The Welshman only arrived at Elland Road last year, but the aforementioned outlet states that Leeds are open to letting him go.

Should Tottenham manage to sign him, he would be their eighth new arrival this transfer window.

This summer, they have managed to bring in Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Destiny Udogie, Djed Spence, Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Clement Lenglet, while Cristian Romero has also now joined permanently after his initial loan spell last season.

What has Bridge said about James to Tottenham?

While Bridge thinks Tottenham's interest in James is a bit of a surprise, the Sky Sports reporter can see why they are targeting him and believes Conte has given the club his approval.

Speaking to GMS, Bridge said: "It sounds to me that it's one Conte's given the thumbs up to. It is a bit of an eye-opener. There is an element of surprise to it, but it seems like Tottenham are playing a certain way, aren't they? You know, breaking on the counter-attack."

Why do Tottenham want James?

As Bridge mentioned, Tottenham have been playing on the counter-attack under Conte, something Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola highlighted last season.

Bearing that in mind, you can understand why the Premier League outfit would target someone like James, who is renowned for his pace.

Discussing how quick the Wales international is, his former Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford said last year: "To be honest, Dan would win over 100 metres [in a race between the two]. But we’ve never actually raced that far. It’s quite a big distance but he’s one of the quickest in the squad."

When it comes to his end product, though, there is room for improvement. In 74 appearances for United, he scored just nine goals, while he has four in 40 for Leeds.

But at 24, James still has time on his side, so that productivity could always go up, especially if he is training under a coach of Conte's calibre.