Maxime Lopez in action for the France U21 side (Getty Images)
According to a report from Estadio Deportivo (h/t Football.london), Tottenham Hotspur are set to step up their interest in signing Marseille midfielder Maxime Lopez, who will be available for £8.9m this summer. The 22-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract and with negotiations over a new deal breaking down, he will be available on a bargain price.
Lopez is a product of the Marseille youth academy. The midfielder has been on the club’s books since 2010 when he joined from FC Burel. He made his first-team debut for the club in 2016 at the age of 18 in a Ligue 1 clash against Guingamp.
Till date, the 22-year-old has made 146 appearances for the French club, scoring five goals and assisting 21 more in the process.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have endured a poor 2019/20 campaign. They have failed to build on their Champions League final run in the last season. A disappointing start to the season saw the club sack Mauricio Pochettino last November, bringing in Jose Mourinho as his replacement.
Nevertheless, Tottenham should still have even odds to finish in a Europa League spot once league play resumes, according to SBD. While they currently sit two points back of 7th, the last likely Europa spot, they will also have Harry Kane back when the season resumes, which should further instil confidence that a full-strength Spurs team can close the gap on either Sheffield United or Wolves over the final nine matches.
Things started well under the Portuguese, but a string of injuries since the turn of the year contributed to a sudden downslide of form. At the time of suspension of football, the Lilywhites were eighth in the Premier League table.
For them to improve upon their fortunes next season, strengthening the squad should be a must for Tottenham.
While a new striker and a centre-back should be a top priority for Mourinho and Tottenham, they should also look to bolster their central midfield department in the summer.
At the moment, Spurs have five senior central midfielders in the squad in Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Gedson Fernandes (loan). In addition, there is also academy graduate Oliver Skipp.
However, Sissoko has battled with injuries over the course of the campaign, whereas Ndombele has hardly been able to make the kind of impact expected from him after his club-record signing last summer. As a result, his future at the club has become a subject of intense speculations of late.
With the likes of Gedson Fernandes and Oliver Skipp still lacking experience at the top level, adding another central midfielder would only serve Tottenham well in the long run. To that end, bringing in Lopez would be a viable option for the North Londoners.
The 22-year-old has garnered plenty of experience already despite being just 22 years old. He has already made close to 150 first-team appearances for Marseille.
In the ongoing campaign, the former France U21 international featured 23 times in the Ligue 1, producing three assists.
Able to play as a No.8, or as a holding midfielder as well as in the attacking midfield role, Lopez would add depth and quality in multiple positions. And he would be available for a bargain £8.9m only, making him an enticing choice for Tottenham.
Tottenham, given how their current season has gone, need reinforcements across the pitch. And signing Lopez would help them add more quality and depth in the centre of the park. The 22-year-old can play in a multitude of roles in the centre. Hence, he would prove to be a resourceful acquisition for the club.
