After years and years of being the subject of gossip column fodder, it finally looks as though swap deals will have their day in the sun this summer.
The London Evening Standard reported yesterday that Tottenham’s business in the next transfer window will be limited to trading players and signing free agents as Jose Mourinho attempts to redesign a broken squad.
Swap deals are easy in theory but very difficult in practice; the more people, in particular agents, involved the more likely it is to fall through.
But of the four possible swap deals proposed by Football London’s Rob Guest this week, I reckon three of them are actually fairly plausible.
Kyle Walker-Peters for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Southampton cannot allow Hojbjerg to stay without signing an extension to a contract that expires in 2021. KWP already has one foot in the door with Ralph Hasenhuttl and a few good post-lockdown performances could seal it.
Spurs would need to throw in some cash but probably less than £10m.
Juan Foyth for Ruben Dias
This is the one that doesn’t add up. Benfica defender Dias is apparently valued at close to £80m and Foyth won’t put a big enough dent in that fee.
Jack Clarke for Eberechi Eze
Clarke was five games into a loan spell at QPR when the season was halted. Sending the young winger to Loftus Road could be the secret weapon that Spurs need to beat other Premier League clubs to young Eze’s signature.
Erik Lamela for Arkadiusz Milik
Despite seven ordinary, injury-plagued years in England, Erik Lamela’s reputation in Italy remains high, and he could be a valuable currency in any negotiations we have with Serie A clubs. Milik is a good profile for that second recognised striker we crave, and Napoli may need a new right-winger when Jose Callejon’s contract expires in June [transfermarkt.com].
KWP for Hojbjerg and Lamela for Milik, with small cash ‘kickers’ from Spurs, as the US might say, are deals I really think we should be working on.
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