According to French outlet Lavenir, Tottenham Hotspur could now be in a position to sign Union Saint-Gilloise defender Koki Machida if they agree to loan him back to the Ligue 1 side for the remainder of the season.
Tottenham’s interest in the 26-year-old Machida first came into the picture when 90 min had reported that the talented left-footed defender’s displays in the Belgian Pro League had caught the eye of Spurs. The report added that Ange Postecoglou was familiar with the player’s game from his time in J-League.
Voetbal Nieuws (via Sport Witness) subsequently claimed that Spurs had decided to scout the player and the Europa League clash between Union SG and Liverpool could be one that the North London club are targeting, to get an idea about Machida.
The Belgian club’s CEO Philippe Bormans however insisted that the Jupiler Pro League outfit intend to hold on to the Japanese defender until next summer (De Zevende Dag).
(Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Spurs may have found the solution to a deal for Machida
Lavenir have now revealed that Tottenham may have found the solution to this issue of Union SG not wanting to part ways with the defender mid-season.
The report adds that Spurs could convince the Belgian club to sell the player to them in January if they agree to loan him back to Union SG for the rest of the campaign.
Spurs Musings Opinion
Union SG will definitely know at the back of their minds that they cannot keep Machida at the club when European giants like Spurs are lurking. If Spurs negotiate a deal with a loan-back clause, I think that they will accept it.
We don’t know much about Machida and his readiness for the Premier League. He has put in some impressive displays for Union SG. Ultimately, considering Postecoglou has seen him before in the J-league, it is likely to be the Australian’s call on whether he thinks Machida would suit Spurs. We should leave this decision to him.
