Spurs and West Ham to Compete for 2 January Additions

They’re fierce rivals on the pitch, but Spurs and West Ham are set to go head-to-head off of it for the same players in January.

QPR’s attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze and Verona’s Moroccan maestro Sofyan Amrabat are reportedly on both London clubs’ radars this coming January transfer window, as both clubs aim to breathe fresh life into their stuttering campaigns. Both players are young, promising midfielders, although whilst 21-year-old Eze is a creative talent bursting with attacking flair, 23-year-old Amrabat adds steel and graft in defensive midfield.

Both players are currently having breakout campaigns for their respective teams. Eze is being heralded as one of English football’s next big things, proving a goalscoring and assisting threat as the creative fulcrum of QPR’s modest side. The young Englishman has already grabbed 9 goals and 4 assists in 20 league games, including a brace in QPR’s most recent 2-0 win against Preston.

Dutch-born Amrabat, meanwhile, is on loan to Verona from Club Brugge, who have an option to sign him for a paltry 3.5 million euros – far less than the mooted 10 million fee other clubs are said to be readying. He, too, is enjoying a stellar campaign, operating as a box-to-box mid and being the rock in midfield for Verona. His stats read like Chelsea phenom Jorginho, averaging 90% completed long passes and an impressive 4 ball recoveries a game.

It appears that both players, should they be signed in conjunction with each other by one club, will have varying squad roles. At Spurs, under Jose Mourinho, both players will almost certainly be bit-part squad players, with established internationals in midfield. At West Ham, however, both will be more likely to compete immediately for starting berths – with injuries galore in midfield, poor form, and a lack of depth, particularly in defensive midfield.

Neither player will come cheap, however, and being so young, and the January market renowned for inflated prices, both Spurs and the Hammers will be expected to pay a premium for each midfielder. Amrabat might cost upwards of 15 million euros when factoring in the January market prices, and Eze, as a homegrown talent, might well garner close to double that fee – or upwards of 23 million pounds.

It remains to be seen if either or both London clubs will make a move – but if so, the players will certainly be interested in a move. It’s early doors yet – but watch this space.