Tottenham Hotspur could be seeking an upgrade to their right wing-back position if emerging transfer reports are to be believed...

What's the word?

Ahead of the January window, the north London outfit have been linked with a move for Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, who is currently competing at the World Cup for the Netherlands after they reached the knockout stages in Qatar.

90min claim that Spurs have submitted multiple enquiries to the Serie A side about the 26-year-old dynamo, with Inter in need of selling at least one key player before the end of the season to ease their financial troubles.

Milan Skriniar is one name who could fall under that bracket but it's believed the Italian giants will look to sell the Dutch defender in January instead and loan him back for the remainder of the season, though Spurs will want him in permanently if they are to sign him.

Bye-bye Emerson?

This news surely spells a lot of trouble for Emerson Royal, who has largely been Antonio Conte's first choice in the role. The Italian head coach has had his hands tied as he has few quality alternatives - an inconsistent Matt Doherty and summer signing Djed Spence, who may not be ready for the big time just yet.

The Brazilian, who cost £26m from FC Barcelona, has endured a tough time in London, leading to former player-turned-pundit Jamie O'Hara slam him as a "complete liability" and a "mistake waiting to happen" earlier this season.

Games against Liverpool and AFC Bournemouth were particular lowlights that Football FanCast have highlighted before, so it certainly would be wise for sporting director Fabio Paratici to turn to an upgrade in the form of Dumfries.

For club and country, he is playing the exact same role as he would under Conte and that has led to a whopping seven goals and four assists, via WhoScored, whilst in the Serie A - where he creates 1.1 chances per game - his form has seen journalist Siavoush Fallahi laud him as a "difference-maker."

That is exactly what Conte - and Spurs - need to generate success from the right flank. The wing-back position is one of the key cogs in Conte's system and one that requires a certain level of creativity, largely owing to the fact that there is no no.10-type presence in attacking midfield.

With an asking price reported to be around £43m, Paratici and his staff would be foolish to not pay up to secure a reliable and consistent player who'll quickly become a crucial figure under the Italian head coach.

It's time for Spurs to finally ditch their current flop with a move for Dumfries, who is actually starring for his nation right now.

AND in other news, Forget Bentancur: Spurs target who's a £15m "special talent" stole the show in Qatar this week...