West Ham United superstar Manuel Lanzini has emerged as a shock summer target for Chelsea, who are ready to battle Liverpool, Arsenal and others.
The Sun are reporting that West Ham United superstar Manuel Lanzini has entered the radar of Chelsea and is a shock summer target for the Blues. Lanzini has already been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal. And it seems the Blues are ready to battle their fellow Londoners and the Reds for the Argentine.
Manuel Lanzini has been a revelation since joining the Hammers as a largely unknown quantity from Al Jazira. This season, especially after Dimitri Payet’s departure in January, the player has really come to the fore as the main threat for Slaven Bilic’s side.
This season alone, the player has featured in all but three league games for West Ham, with a return of 8 goals and 2 assists to show for his efforts. Add to that the versatility he possesses – he can play on the left, as a central midfielder as well as in the attacking midfield – and the widespread interest in his services doesn’t seem too much of a surprise.
Liverpool are looking to land him as a potential replacement for Coutinho, who has been linked with a summer move to Barcelona. Lanzini is very much similar to Coutinho in playing style and stature and could prove to be the perfect man to replace the Brazilian, if he does decide to leave Anfield.
Manuel Lanzini: Only 2 players have won possession in the midfield third more times than Lanzini (71) in the Premier League in 2017 pic.twitter.com/pHbv6DOZzM
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 19, 2017
Arsenal, on the other hand, need additions to their squad after a largely underwhelming season – one where they failed to grab a spot in the top-four – and are set to lose few of their mega stars, with Alexis Sanchez almost certain to leave the club in the summer.
Manuel Lanzini is said to be happy in London and a move to Arsenal could interest the Argentine. However, the other London greats are also interested in the player, with Tottenham looking to replace the largely underwhelming Moussa Sissoko with the attacker.
And now, Chelsea have joined others in the pursuit of the Argentine. The 24-year-old has emerged as a shock target for the Blues, with Michael Emenalo holding the talented River Plate academy graduate in high regard.
The Technical Director at Chelsea is reportedly of the opinion that the player can develop in the same mould as Luka Modric – a brilliant complement for a player. With the player happy in London, a move to Chelsea could be the perfect proposition.
It will be interesting to see where Lanzini ends up in the summer but the player is unlikely to stay with the Hammers. However, he is set to still grace the Premier League and in all likeliness, might not be moving too far from the Olympic Stadium.
