Tottenham Hotspur have held long-term interest in a Denmark international, but his club are working to make a summer deal harder for the Lilywhites and the player’s other suitors.According to various reports, De Zerbi and Tottenham have already held conversations regarding summer transfer targets.The new Spurs head coach has been given the power to have a major say in the squad building, and one would expect plenty of changes this summer as he looks to put his own imprint on the squad.A Serie A defender who has been on Tottenham’s radar for well over 12 months could emerge as a target for De Zerbi.Photo by MB Media/Getty ImagesRace for Tottenham target Thomas Kristensen intensifiesThomas Kristensen was heavily linked with a £14m move to Spurs last year, but the versatile defender ended up staying at Udinese.His stock has continued to rise this season in light of the centre-back’s impressive performances this term, and TuttoMercatoWeb have revealed that his growth has not gone unnoticed in England.The outlet claims that Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest made a move for Kristensen last summer, forcing the Italian side to take ‘evasive action’.Udinese are now worried about losing the defender this summer as the Premier League trio have now been joined in the race by both Juventus and Milan over recent weeks.The Bianconeri and the Rossneri have made ‘exploratory inquiries’ about the Dane, with both Serie A giants being fans of his ability to play in a back four as well as a back three.Udinese have a plan to stop Spurs and other suitors from landing KristensenTMW see that despite the growing interest in his services, Udinese are eager to keep the 24-year-old at the club.In fact, the report claims that the Italian club has ‘intensified discussions’ with Kristensen over a new contract, with his current deal expiring in 2028.Udinese hope to finalise a new deal before the end of this month and are ready to hand him a considerable pay rise in an effort to keep him away from the clutches of the big clubs that are circling over the player.READ MORE: Tottenham monitor £26m Nicolo Tresoldi but Arsenal have already enquiredThe post Udinese take 'evasive action' to block summer transfer to Tottenham or Aston Villa appeared first on Spurs Web.