Tottenham and West Ham could help each other out with a swap deal this summer
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London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have made conflicting starts to the new Premier League season, with both clubs emerging as key talking points in the opening two weekends of the campaign.
Spurs have made an 100% start to the league season under new manager Thomas Frank, including an outstanding 2-0 win away at Manchester City which will have raised a few eyebrows. West Ham, by contrast, were defeat 5-1 by Chelsea on Friday night to find themselves bottom of the pile without a single point to show from their opening two matches.
The Hammers and head coach Graham Potter have a lot of questions to answer in the final days of the window as fans fear that they may find themselves dragged into a relegation battle if work is not done to strengthen the squad and add some more pace and dynamism. Shining light Mohammed Kudus was, in fact, sold to Spurs for £55 million and has yet to be replaced at all.
The Lilywhites have not had it all their own way either, though, as they saw the signing of Eberechi Eze hijacked by arch-rivals Arsenal and are now looking at other options.
Spurs and West Ham could set up intriguing swap deal
Mail Sport report that Spurs are one of multiple clubs interested in West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who has recently been acquitted of spot-fixing charges and may now look to take a next step in his career away from the London Stadium.
West Ham may be open to striking a deal for a price in the region of £50m - £60m according to Sport Witness, the east London club knowing that only a premium is acceptable for one of their most valuable assets, who they themselves signed for a huge £51m from Lyon in 2022. He was once reported to be close to moving to Manchester City for £85m back in 2023 before the allegations came to the fore.
West Ham will be wary of selling another of their star players to one of their biggest rivals in Spurs, amidst interest from Aston Villa. It could ultimately take Spurs using a trump card in order to gain the ascendancy in negotiations. West Ham have been reported as holding an interest in midfielder Yves Bissouma, who could become part of a show-stopping swap deal with the Hammers.
Lucas Paqueta and Yves Bissouma swap deal could be a difference-maker
West Ham have been criticised for their lack of energy and bite in midfield during their opening two matches of the season and may see a move for Bissouma, who has not been included in Thomas Frank’s squad for any of his three competitive fixtures in charge so far, as the perfect remedy for their problem. At 28 years old, Bissouma is in his prime years and has a lot to offer at this level. This was evidenced by his stand-out performance in the Europa League final in May.
Previous reports have suggested that Spurs may demand £20m for the Mali international, though the Hammers could aim to negotiate this down with the player in the final year of his contract. A deal could certainly be struck up between the clubs as Spurs seek to secure Paqueta to solve their creative midfield conundrum. An offer by Spurs of £30m - £35m plus Bissouma could be enough to seal the Brazilian’s signature.
Spurs are in need of some extra creativity amidst injury lay-offs for James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, while central midfield is a position of concern to West Ham. This swap deal could be in the best interests of all parties involved.