Tottenham reportedly interested in signing West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini

Things haven’t been going very well for Tottenham lately in the Premier League, but there are still reasons for cheer: things have been going even worse for West Ham United.

Spurs’ London rivals are in 18th place and look like they’ll spend this season in a relegation battle. West Ham going down would be good for Tottenham, as the Hammers seem to always show up for this London Derby, and have even sprung a few crucial upsets in the past few seasons.

Manuel Lanzini has been instrumental in many of those games, and his performances may have turned the head of Mauricio Pochettino. According to this report from ESPNFC, Tottenham are interested in signing the Hammers’ attacker.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is a big admirer of his fellow Argentine Lanzini and feels he would be a valuable addition to his squad.

The 24-year-old has caught the eye when playing against Tottenham, scoring three goals against them since arriving in England, and his general performances have brought him to the attention of several clubs.

Pochettino is looking to add more creativity to his side to help provide better service to Harry Kane and is ready to test West Ham's resolve to hang onto Lanzini.

Lanzini is under contract at West Ham until 2020 and David Moyes would be reluctant to lose one his key players in January with the club in the middle of a relegation battle.

Injuries have held Lanzini back a bit this season, but there is no question about his quality. Spurs have seen first-hand just what he is capable of on his day. Last season he managed 8 goals and 2 assists in 31 Premier League starts.

He’s a versatile player who can play centrally and on the left, two areas where Tottenham could use some help. He’s a more appealing option than Ross Barkley, and he’s much better than Moussa Sissoko.

Spurs fans should want this move to come to fruition, but it almost certainly won’t be in January. There is bad blood between upper management at both clubs, so negotiations are already likely to be frosty. And West Ham simply won’t part with one of their best players as they attempt to retain their Premier League status.

But if they were to get relegated, that would change everything. Lanzini is far too good for the Championship and would certainly want a move away at that point.

So I, for one, am rooting for West Ham to go down. Their demise could open the door for Lanzini to ditch Stratford for N17.