Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Koki Machida but Union Saint Gilloise have no interest in letting the Japan international join the Premier League giants during the January transfer window.
Speaking to De Zevende Dag just days after reports emerged linking the talented centre-half with a move to London, CEO Philippe Bormans wasted little time in setting out his stall.
Tottenham Hotspur, according to 90Min, have been ‘impressed’ by Koki Machida after sending scouts to watch the 26-year-old in action for the Belgian outfit. A left-sided centre-half in an era where left-sided centre-halves are all the rage, Machida would add depth to a position left exposed by an injury to Micky van de Ven, so impressive since his arrival from Wolfsburg last summer.
Tottenham Hotspur like Koki Machida
Convincing Union Saint Gilloise to cash in midway through the campaign, however, will be easier said than done. Especially with Bormans slamming down the shutters and insisting that the shop is closed for business.
“Every year, we have been reasonably successful in keeping everyone together in the winter,” the USG CEO explains. “We’re going to try that again now.”
“There is a lot of interest, but we will try to hold it off until after the season. We first want to achieve something together.”
Tottenham, 90Min add, are also keen on Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly and Everton misfit Ben Godfrey. Machida, should he arrive instead, would be the latest Japanese footballer brought to Britain by Ange Postecoglou. The former Yokohama F Marinos boss enjoyed real success north of the border after bringing Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and particularly Kyogo Furuhashi to Celtic.
Another Japanese talent for Postecoglu
Machida, who is fluent in English, credits his move to Belgium as key to improving his physicality and his strength in one-on-one situations, attributes which should stand him in good stead across the Channel.
“It is difficult. But I think it is important to adapt and to be able to communicate,” Machida tells Het Nieuwsblad. “Since the arrival of the German coach (Alexander Blessin), more English is spoken here at the club. So I have many opportunities to improve my English
“I have improved a lot, especially in terms of defensive duels, since I have been in Belgium.”
Machida’s potential arrival, meanwhile, would push Eric Dier even further down the Tottenham pecking order.
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