With the transfer window nearly complete, there’s precious little time to make a move. This is the time when some teams look to take advantage of the slow movement by others.
Tottenham is on either end of that spectrum.
They are reportedly looking to snatch up Manchester United target Aymeric Laporte, a 20-year-old French defender playing for Athletic Bilbao in Spain. Manchester United could use a serious overhaul of its back line, with injuries and sub-par performances dotting the defensive landscape this season as the squad continues to rebuild. Laporte is reportedly a target for Louis van Gaal, but according to new reports the Red Devils are more likely to wait until the summer to begin their courting of the youngster.
This has opened the door for other sides to try and rush a deal this winter, and Spurs is one of those interested in trying to push something through, according to the Daily Star. The report says he has a very expensive $48 million release clause that Manchester United were looking to trigger in the summer, but Spurs could offer around half that to Bilbao for his transfer now, something that may entice a Spanish club in a league full of debt and financial troubles. However, it would be painful for Bilbao to lose Laporte this winter, with in 11th position but still in the relegation mix in a very crowded bottom half of the La Liga table, just five points above the drop.
Another last ditch effort leaves Spurs on the other end. Reports have tabbed them to be the leaders for West Ham defender Winston Reid should he choose to leave the Hammers (which seems unlikely at this point), but Liverpool may be jumping in to make a late play. Reid is out of a contract at the end of the season, and is one of the major reasons why Sam Allardyce’s side has found itself firmly in the top half of the table.
According to the Daily Mirror, the Reds are going to make an attempt for Reid’s services, and West Ham would be wise to sell if they don’t believe they will be in for a contract extension down the stretch. The report states that if West Ham sell Reid, they’d look to replace him with former Spurs defender Vedran Corluka, now playing in Russia for Spartak Moscow.
Finally, there’s a slightly concerning report for Chelsea fans that states the club still hasn’t agreed upon a set transfer fee with Wolfsburg for the departure of Andre Schurrle. Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs told German publication Wolfsburger Nachrichten earlier today, “There is currently no agreement. Time is running out. The possibilities are to hour less of an hour.”
However, reports out of Italy state the deal is nearing completion, and that the final hurdle is who pays a “solidarity clause” that sees a 5% payment of the final transfer fee going to the club that developed Schurrle as a youth. A similar hurdle was completed in the Juan Cuadrado transfer to Chelsea, and it’s unclear if that deal is contingent on Schurrle’s sale being completed. Chelsea appears to be in a decent Financial Fair Play position, with their transfer dealings this season at around the break-even point, suggesting the deals are likely not to be mutually exclusive.