Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in a battle with Arsenal over a deal to sign Club Brugge star Maxim De Cuyper, as per Caught Offside.
The Lilywhites have leaked nine goals in their last two games in all competitions. They have efficient first-choice defenders but after that, they lack quality depth.
So, Ange Postecoglou’s side have been struggling in recent times due to the injury absence of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie. The Australian boss has recently revealed that Spurs are exploring options to strengthen the squad in January.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Tottenham want to bolster the left-back position and Cuyper is on their wish-list. They recently sent scouts to watch the 24-year-old in action before making a potential move next year.
However, the player wants to remain at the Belgian side for the remainder of this season so Spurs will have to put their best efforts in to persuade him to join the club in mid-season.
Battle
The report say that apart from Tottenham, Arsenal are also in this race and have been monitoring the defender’s development in recent times. Additionally, Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest are plotting a swoop for him.
The Gunners bolstered the left-back position by signing Riccardo Calafiori last summer. But, he has struggled with injury problems in recent times. Oleksandr Zinchenko was Mikel Arteta’s primary option to deploy in this position but he has also struggled to stay fit in recent months and has found it difficult to showcase his best.
So, Arteta has used Jurrien Timber in this position on a few occasions but he is more comfortable on the opposite side. Myles Lewis-Skelly has featured in the left-back role in recent games but he is still young and needs time to develop his career.
Cuyper is valued at around £10m by Transfermarkt and has a contract until 2028 with Club Brugge so he could be available for a reasonable price in January.
Cuyper is a talented player and is efficient on both ends of the pitch so he could be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal or Tottenham if either club eventually manage to secure his service next year.