As per a report from The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a summer move for West Ham United full-back Arthur Masuaku.
The same report has gone on to claim that Spurs are targetting the 24-year-old as a replacement for Danny Rose, should he choose to join Manchester United once the transfer window commences. Estimated to be valued at £20million according to The Sun, is Masuaku the right tichoice for Tottenham?
Masuaku had joined West Ham in 2016 after completing a move from Greek club Olympiacos. He took a while to make a mark for himself but the player soldiered on and eventually, his hard work paid off. The versatile Frenchman has become a first-team regular for the Hammers this season and has been a beacon of hope in what has been a terrible campaign for the East London outfit.
They are fighting hard to preserve their top-flight status beyond the end of this season but if they fail to survive in the Premier League, there will be widespread anger and frustration among the fans.
To be fair, West Ham do not have a bad team. They have some promising players in their ranks and yet, they appear to falter on the big stage. If they survive relegation, the upcoming transfer window will be an important phase for them but selling a fan favourite to a local rival club might not be the best move at a time like this.
However, as far as Tottenham are concerned, a player like Masuaku could prove to be a good addition. He can play either as a full-back or a wing-back and that is something Mauricio Pochettino will bear in mind.
The Spurs manager has alternated between using a three-man backline with wing-backs and a traditional four-man backline with full-backs this season. In either situation, Masuaku can fit right in. Although The Sun has claimed that the player is happy at West Ham, he might find the prospect of playing in the Champions League too tempting to turn down.
Furthermore, the defender can work wonders higher up the pitch as well and that is something Pochettino always looks for in full-backs. The likes of Kieran Trippier who will be fighting with Walker for a place in the England squad with World Cup tips suggesting that he might play a few minutes and Ben Davies have managed to hold onto their first-team spots solely because of their abilities to attack and defend with equal gusto. And on that end, a move for Masuaku could prove to be extremely beneficial for Spurs.
Needless to say, it remains to be seen if West Ham are willing to agree to a sale in the first place.