Tottenham’s swoop for West Ham star is doomed to fail
West Ham won’t sell Manuel Lanzini to Tottenham
Tottenham have plenty of reasons to want to sign Manuel Lanzini in January. The talented Argentine would provide the Spurs attack with a much-needed boost of creativity. Unfortunately, West Ham are in no position to sell their attacking midfielder in January.
Reports from England allege the Hammers will consider selling Lanzini due to an impasse over his current contract. His current agreement with the club runs through 2020, but he’s refused to sign a new deal. The Argentine star is looking for a raise over the current £85 thousand he’s earning per week.
That’s all well and good, but the obvious truth is that West Ham are currently locked in a bitter relegation battle. David Moyes was hired to right the ship, but he faces an uphill battle to keep the Hammers in the Premier League next season. Selling the club’s most talented playmaker to a London rival would send his fan base into an absolute panic.
The only way a January move is remotely possible is if Spurs launch an overwhelming financial bid. West Ham would feel entirely justified to ask £40 million for such a talented attacker despite his contract status. The thought of Daniel Levy paying that sort of fee for a player in Lanzini’s situation makes even the most optimistic Spurs fan chuckle.
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The likely truth about these reports is that Tottenham are planting seeds with Lanzini and his representatives about a possible summer move. If West Ham suffer relegation, they suddenly lose all leverage with the player. Lanzini isn’t going to toil for a season in the Championship on the hopes of getting his club back in England’s top flight.
Even if Moyes is able to keep the club up by the skin of their collective teeth, he’ll be keen to overhaul the squad this summer. In a perfect world he would build around Lanzini, but with just one year left on his contract that isn’t a prudent strategy. Instead, West Ham would use money from his sale to purchase the players Moyes wants to build his project around.
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The bottom line is that Manuel Lanzini isn’t moving from West Ham to Tottenham this summer. It’d be a great purchase for Spurs, but they’ll have to wait until the summer to have any realistic chance of signing the Argentine attacker.