Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Wilfried Singo.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by Italian media outlet Torino Granata (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following the interest of Antonio Conte over the summer transfer window, Torino may now be willing to part with the right wing-back in the January market, as long as they were to receive an offer they simply could not refuse - reported to be in the region of €30m (£26m).
Should no move materialise this winter - be that by Tottenham or any other interested party - the report goes on to claim that the 21-year-old will be available to sign next summer, with the Ivory Coast international's current deal at the Stadio Olimpico set to expire in the summer of 2024.
"Revelation"
Considering Spurs' struggles at right wing-back so far this season, coupled with the Premier League side's previous interest in Singo, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, should an opportunity arise for Fabio Paratici to make a move for the 21-year-old in January, he would jump at the chance to do so.
Indeed, Emerson Royal's red card against Arsenal once again highlighted the fact that the 23-year-old is a "complete liability" - in the words of Jamie O'Hara - at the back, while Conte is evidently not comfortable with the idea of deploying either Matt Doherty or Djed Spence at wing-back - with the duo having played a combined 26 minutes of football so far this season.
As such, the signing of a new player in the position would appear something of a must this winter, and, considering Singo's performances in Italy over the past year, the defender would very much look to be something of a perfect fit for Conte's right wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Indeed, according to FBref, the £17.5m-rated talent ranks in the top 11% of full-backs in Europe's big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 7% for non-penalty xG, the top 8% for shots, the top 14% for dribbles completed, the top 14% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 38% for progressive passes over the last 365 days.
From these metrics, it is clear that the £4.3k-per-week sensation is very much a forward-thinking defender first and foremost, something that cannot be said of Conte's current first-choice in the position, Emerson - with Singo bettering the Brazilian in goals scored (three to one), assists provided (four to one) and big chances created (four to one) in their respective leagues last term.
Conte himself has revealed that he prefers his wing-backs to be predominantly attack-focused, with the 52-year-old stating in comments cited by football.london earlier this year:
"The wing-back is really important if you play with three at the back. They're important because it's no good if they are too defensive because in this position you need to have quality. I like to have players that in the past was a winger because in this situation they are good at one vs one."
As such, should Paratici be presented with an opportunity to land the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed a "revelation" in January, the Italian sporting director simply must do all he can to prise him away from Turin, as it is clear that Singo could well be the perfect player to finally end Tottenham's wing-back woes.