A new right wing-back will be on Fabio Paratici's shopping list this summer as he looks to upgrade Antonio Conte's Tottenham squad. A priority for Spurs in January with the team not getting much joy from the position, the Lilywhites unfortunately went without as the transfer window slammed shut without them strengthening there.
Amid his previous Tottenham struggles, Matt Doherty made the role his own from the end of February onwards but unfortunately suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the month against Aston Villa. With Emerson Royal not looking convincing at all when played in an attacking position, Spurs need Paratici to find his perfect man as they aim to hit the next level in 2022/23.
So who could Spurs target at right wing-back? football.london takes a look at five different options.
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Tariq Lamptey
Tottenham fans have long called for the club to make a move to sign Lamptey from Brighton in order to fix their right wing-back woes. Signed from Chelsea for just £3million in January 2020, the 21-year-old has taken his game to another level at the Amex.
Lamptey has wowed since moving to the south coast with his pace and attacking play, contributing one goal and six assists in 47 appearances under Graham Potter. The youngster looks set to move on to a bigger club at some point down the line and Brighton will in turn be able to bring in a sizeable fee for the player as he has quite a future ahead of him.
A player with Premier League experience and someone who is homegrown, he would be a great addition for Tottenham but Brighton would request top dollar for one of their main players.
Denzel Dumfries
Dumfries made quite the impact representing Netherlands at Euro 2020 last summer and chipped in with two goals and one assist. Already tipped to leave PSV ahead of this season, Inter Milan came calling for the 26-year-old and signed him amid reported interest from Everton.
In and out of the Inter team to begin with, the Dutchman has since nailed down a place in the starting XI and has five goals and seven assists from 40 games this campaign. However, he has been mentioned in regards to a transfer this summer to either Spurs or Bayern Munich as Inter may have to move players on once again in order to balance the books.
Showcasing for club and country that he can get forward and have a big impact in the final third, Dumfries would be a good option if Paratici can agree on a deal with the Italian side.
Stephane Singo
Staying in Italy, Singo is another player in Serie A who has been linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. The Torino star is also a player both Conte and Paratici will know all about following their time in Italy.
Making 33 appearances in all competitions for the Turin-based club this season, the 21-year-old has registered three goals and four assists so far. Also linked with a move to Arsenal, the Lilywhites may be able to strike a good deal for the player as his contract with Torino expires at the end of next campaign.
Djed Spence
Spence will be the subject of plenty of interest over the next few months after playing a key role in Nottingham Forest's rise up the Championship table. Allowed to depart Middlesbrough on loan at the start of the season, the 21-year-old has been a revelation at the City Ground and was recently named in the Championship Team of the Season.
Hitting three goals and five assists in 44 appearances, the London-born star has already demonstrated that he can do it against Premier League clubs after helping Forest knock Arsenal and Leicester City out of the FA Cup. The England U21 international looks destined to play in the top-flight at some point, whether that is with Forest next season if they win promotion or with another club.
He is a player Spurs like, with Paratici recently watching him and fellow Forest star Brennan Johnson in action. Spence would be an excellent acquisition due to his attacking play and also his homegrown status.
Adama Traore
Could Tottenham revisit a move for Traore at the end of the season? Heavily linked with the player in the final weeks of the summer transfer window and tipped to sign him in January, the Wolves man instead linked up with former club Barcelona on loan.
The La Liga giants do have the option to sign the player on a permanent deal this summer, although his lack of game time, as well as Barcelona's financial position, may hint that Traore's loan does not become permanent. As Paratici is a fan of the player and a Wolves return could be imminent, it wouldn't be a surprise if he was linked with Spurs again at some point over the summer.
However, the issue with Traore is whether he could adapt to the wing-back role and contribute with goals and assists going on his previous low numbers at Wolves.
