West Ham, Tottenham ‘analysing’ South American centre-back as progress continues
Leonardo Zabala is being watched by West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as a club on the continent, according to one reporter.
Zabala is an 18-year-old defender who is yet to make a senior debut at club level, but has at international level. He is in the youth system of Santos, but has already earned one cap for Bolivia, which came back in 2020.
It might not be too long before he is taking further strides in the club game. And if his progress continues, he may not be at Santos for too much longer either.
Planet Sport confirmed one month ago that West Ham and Tottenham were keeping tabs on Zabala, potentially as an under-23 recruit.
Now, transfer expert Ekrem Konur has confirmed their interest. He has taken to Twitter to reveal that they, along with Portuguese club Porto, have sent scouts to “analyse” the performances of Zabala.
There are no details about what their findings may have been, but it seems their interest is fairly long-lasting. With many years ahead of him, they could continue to monitor his progress.
West Ham and Spurs have both been considering moves for centre-backs at senior level. A couple of injury issues exposed a lack of depth for the Hammers earlier this season.
As for Tottenham, Antonio Conte probably wants a high-level defender to join the likes of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies in contention for a place in his back three.
Zabala out of contract in 2022
Whether Zabala would be immediately ready is certainly debatable, but his suitors are keen not to lose sight of a potential talent.
He is only under contract with Santos until the end of the calendar year. Of course, the Brazilian club could yet renew his contract. But if not, he would be an intriguing proposition to look into.
The summer could be the perfect time for bidders to pounce if they feel they can convince Santos into a sale.
Only time will tell if West Ham or Spurs make further visits to check out Zabala again.
READ MORE: Tottenham transfer still on as Conte’s side rival West Ham for new England U21 star
The post West Ham, Tottenham ‘analysing’ South American centre-back as progress continues appeared first on TEAMtalk.