Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is reportedly looking to improve his squad during the January transfer window and the Italian has identified the Manchester United defender Eric Bailly as a potential target.

According to Duncan Castles (via Express) from the Transfer Window Podcast, Conte wanted to sign the Ivory Coast defender during his time at Inter Milan as well.

The newly appointed Tottenham manager clearly rates the 27-year-old defender highly and he is thought to be in discussions with the London club regarding a potential January move for the player.

Eric Bailly has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and he has barely featured in the Premier League this season. The likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have all been prefered ahead of him and he needs to leave Manchester United in order to play regular first-team football once again.

Tottenham could definitely use more defensive reinforcements and Bailly could prove to be a quality addition alongside Cristian Romero who joined the club earlier this season. The player will be determined to prove his worth and his desire to succeed will only benefit Spurs. 

When the 27-year-old signed for Manchester United from Villarreal, he was regarded as one of the finest young defensive prospects across Europe and it remains to be seen whether Conte can help him recapture his form and confidence during the second half of the season.

Bailly will be hoping to play regularly once again and the chance to work with a world-class manager like Antonio Conte could be tempting for him.

That said, Manchester United might not be keen on weakening their squad midway through the season and Tottenham might have to wait until the end of the season to secure the Ivorian’s services.

Tottenham are currently 7th in the Premier League table and they have shown improvement since the arrival of the Italian manager.

Conte will be hoping to guide them to a Champions League finish this season and he will need to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window in order for that to happen.