Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is reportedly prepared to block any attempt from AC Milan to sign Japhet Tanganga in January.
The Englishman emerged onto the scene under Jose Mourinho in the 2019-20 season but has found opportunities hard to come by in recent times.
A serious knee injury and subsequent surgery ruled Tanganga out of Tottenham's final 20 games of the 2021-22 season, but he recovered in time for the start of the current term.
However, Tanganga has only made one appearance for Conte's side in all competitions this season, coming off the bench for the final 17 minutes of his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille in September.
The 23-year-old has only been an unused substitute in the Premier League so far and failed to make it off the bench in Wednesday's EFL Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest.
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Tanganga was linked with a move to Italy on loan over the summer, but nothing materialized amid supposed interest from AC Milan, with Joe Rodon already leaving on loan for Rennes.
Now, Calciomercatoweb reports that the Italian champions - who will face Tottenham in the last 16 of the Champions League - remain interested in a deal for Tanganga.
The report adds that Tanganga's versatility is an attractive proposition for Stefano Pioli, with the defender able to play as a right-back, on the right-hand side of a back three or in a back four.
Milan could supposedly try again for Tanganga on a permanent deal during the January transfer window, but Conte is not prepared to let the Englishman depart halfway through the season.
With Milan and Tottenham set to do battle in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and March, Conte does not want to sell to his European rivals and boost their squad before the showdown.
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Nevertheless, a summer move could potentially be on the cards for Milan, with Tottenham only setting an asking price of €10m (£8.7m) on the head of Tanganga.
Since graduating from the club's youth ranks, Tanganga has made 44 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions, although he is still waiting for his first goal or assist for the North London giants.
Eric Dier, Clement Lenglet, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero are all ahead of Tanganga in the pecking order, although the latter has been out with a calf injury in recent weeks.
Despite Romero's layoff, Conte has tended to prefer Sanchez or Dier on the right-hand side of his three-man defence to Tanganga, who remains under contract at his boyhood club until 2025.
Milan poached Tanganga's compatriot Fikayo Tomori from Chelsea on a permanent basis last summer, and the 24-year-old immediately cemented himself in the Milan XI to play a key role in their title-winning campaign.
Tomori also struggled for Premier League opportunities before moving to Italy, but the centre-back's exploits have not been enough to earn him a place in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup.
Ben Knapton
