Why Layvin Kurzawa could be a smashing signing for Tottenham
According to claims from French outlet Foot Mercato (h/t The Sun), Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on PSG star Layvin Kurzawa as a potential target next summer, with Jose Mourinho keen to bring the Frenchman to North London on a free transfer in 2020.
The 27-year-old is out of contract at the French capital at the end of the ongoing campaign, meaning that he will be free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with other clubs during the mid-season trading period in January.
Tottenham, though, are expected to face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Man United and West Ham in their pursuit of Kurwaza, who has only played a bit-part role at PSG over the last couple of years due to the presence of Juan Bernat in the ranks. (Foot Mercato h/t Sun)
Kurwaza, who rose to prominence with Monaco earlier in his career, completed a move to PSG back in the summer of 2015 and has clocked up 112 appearances for the reigning French champions in all competitions, accumulating 12 goals and 19 assists in the process.
The 27-year-old has won a host of silverware over the course of his stay at the French capital, including three Ligue 1 titles, but he now looks set to embrace a new challenge, with his contract set to expire next summer.
The left-back has only started five league games for PSG so far this season and a move elsewhere could allow him to start afresh, as the Frenchman looks to get himself back in the international reckoning with more regular minutes.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Tottenham has sparked an upturn in the club’s form following a lacklustre start to the campaign under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Lilywhites had been languishing in the bottom half of the table when Mourinho took charge last month but an impressive run of four wins in five Premier League games under the new manager has rekindled Tottenham’s surge for a top-four finish.
Indeed, Mourinho has made immediate strides since taking over the reins at Spurs, who now look like a more formidable and ambitious side under the stewardship of the Portuguese tactician.
However, the manager will need to reshape his squad in the upcoming transfer windows and sort out some of the problem areas to transform this immensely-talented unit into a side capable of challenging for silverware, something that Pochettino had failed to do.
To put things into perspective, the left-back department is one that is certainly in dire need of some reinvestment and Tottenham’s links with Layvin Kurzawa certainly makes sense for a number of reasons.
Despite the presence of an accomplished England international like Danny Rose in the ranks, Mourinho has preferred to use Jan Vertonghen in an unfamiliar left-back role since taking charge. Hence, there have already been obvious signs to suggest that the new manager is unwilling to place his trust in the 29-year-old, who is out of contract at Spurs in 2021.
Rose has started nine games in the Premier League this season while also featuring prominently in Spurs’ UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, but his performances at both ends of the pitch have raised plenty of eyebrows.
The 29-year-old has looked like a shadow of his former glorious and energetic self and with his contract set to expire after eighteen months, Tottenham should be wise enough to cash in on their underperforming star.
Verdict
Interestingly, Rose had been linked with an exit from North London this past summer, with PSG among the clubs to have expressed an interest in securing his services (h/t The Guardian). Spurs didn’t quite manage to get him off their books back then but it is easy to see why cashing in on the left-back next summer could be in the best interests of all parties.
Kurzawa, on the other hand, has struggled to nail down a regular starting role at PSG but he continues to be an exciting attacking full-back with well-rounded attributes at both ends of the pitch.
The Frenchman still has a lot to offer at the age of 27 and his wealth of experience in France, as well as in the Champions League, means that Kurzawa could be an excellent addition to a Tottenham backline that is crying out for some much-needed quality at left-back.
Ben Davies, of course, is more than a decent option, but the Welshman would be more suited to playing a back-up role if Kurzawa were to come through the door as a replacement for Rose next summer.
More Tottenham News
- Why Mehmet Zeki Celik could add more depth to Tottenham’s backline
- Combined London derby XI featuring 7 Chelsea and 4 Tottenham stars
- Why Tottenham should avoid signing Fellaini at all costs
All in all, Layvin Kurzawa to Tottenham seems to have all the makings of a smashing move and the Frenchman’s imminent availability on a free transfer should make it an absolute no-brainer for Mourinho to snap him up.
