Why It Is A Good Idea For Tottenham Hotspur To Make A Move For West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini
Tottenham may have started this season on the right foot but of late, things have been going severely downhill for the club. Currently sitting at 7th spot in the points table, Spurs have been subjected to 2 losses and 2 draws in their last 4 Premier League matches. Clearly, they dropped quite a lot of points in the past few weeks owing to several problems plaguing the club. First of all, most of their key players are either out with injuries or are struggling to recover from them. This has truly depleted their squad and some players like Christian Eriksen are far from their true form.
Spurs are struggling and their over-dependence on Harry Kane is blatantly obvious and is not doing them any favours. With the January window coming up, it is a crucial time for their boss Mauricio Pochettino to scout the market for reinforcements. Daniel Levy may not like it but the team needs to spend a considerable amount of money to get back-up options so as to avoid such situations in the future.
Moreover, there seems to be a general lack of creativity in terms of their attack. Recent reports suggesting that Pochettino is interested in a move for West Ham’s attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini and he might just be the right person to bring life into an otherwise dull midfield.
Tottenham’s London rivals are in a worse position right now. They are sitting at 18th place and could get embroiled in a relegation battle later on. As far as Lanzini is concerned, he has been an important aspect of the club’s attacking prowess and his influence at the club remains unmatched. Considering the dearth of options for Pochettino and the lack of attacking power, a move for Lanzini is likely to add value to the side.
The 24-year-old, who earns £70,000-a-week has caught a lot of attention with his creativity and skill in orchestrating attacks and he could most certainly add a dynamic layer to Pochettino’s squad. Signing Lanzini could also help Kane boost his own performance since the West Ham man can create more opportunities for him to score. It is remarkable that the Englishman is still scoring goals even when there seems to be lack of support for him but the addition of Lanzini coupled with Kane’s brilliance is likely to be an enticing prospect for most Tottenham fans.
However, the player may not come cheap. He is bound by contract to West Ham until 2020 and considering that Hammers have quite an uphill battle ahead, new manager David Moyes is unlikely to let go of one of their key players in January. Lanzini may not have been at his best so far this season due to an injury but there is no denying his quality and talent. Also, he is a very versatile player and can be deployed in a central role and also on the left. Coincidentally, these are two areas where Spurs could use more power.
That said, can Tottenham successfully sign him in January? It seems unlikely at this point since no club would want to lose a key player in the middle of a relegation battle; West Ham aren’t an exception, are they? On the other hand, moving to the North London side could be an exciting option for Lanzini and perhaps Tottenham could attempt to sign him next summer.