Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson Royal could supposedly be used as part of a deal for the Lilywhites to sign Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.
The Brazilian arrived at Hotspur Way from Barcelona in 2021, but he has come under constant criticism for his performances on the right-hand side under Antonio Conte.
Emerson largely fought off competition from Djed Spence and Matt Doherty to hold down his spot in the team in the early stages of the season, but the latter has since displaced the South American.
Emerson has one assist to his name from 23 matches in all competitions this season, but he has failed to start any of the Lilywhites' three Premier League games since the World Cup.
The 23-year-old is under contract in North London until 2026, but Conte is said to be open to his departure in January, and Inter Milan have been credited with an interest.
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The Nerazzurri are on the lookout for possible replacements for in-demand right-back Denzel Dumfries, who is thought to be wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United.
As a result, Calciomercatoweb claims that Tottenham could use Inter's interest in Emerson to their advantage as they try to bring Italian centre-back Bastoni to the club.
The 23-year-old was a regular for Conte during Inter's run to the Serie A title in 2020-21 and was linked with a switch to the Premier League giants in the summer before his agent ruled out a move.
Inter are working to tie Bastoni down to a new contract, but the Italy international's current terms only run for another 18 months, meaning that the Nerazzurri could be pressured to sell in January or the summer if he does not renew.
However, the report adds that Inter will reject any player-plus-cash deals for Bastoni involving Emerson, and the Italian giants would be after a straight fee to sanction a sale.
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Bastoni's contract talks with Inter are supposedly not progressing as the club desires, though, so their stance on a sale could change if he decides to advance his career elsewhere.
The centre-back arrived at San Siro as an 18-year-old from Atalanta BC in 2017, and he has since come up with three goals and 12 assists in 137 appearances for the Milan powerhouses.
Primarily operating as a left-sided centre-back, Bastoni has set up four goals in 19 games this season, and his teammates Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij have also been tipped to reunite with Conte in North London.
The duo are both out of contract at the end of the season, although Liverpool and Manchester United could battle Tottenham for the signature of Slovakia international Skriniar.
With Tottenham looking to offload Emerson, the Lilywhites are said to be stepping up their interest in Sporting Lisbon's Pedro Porro, although the Spaniard will not be allowed to leave this month unless his €45m (£40m) release clause is paid.
Ben Knapton
