The Kenyan central defensive midfielder joined Tottenham in 2016, after three successful seasons at Celtic Glasgow and at Southampton. The captain of the Kenyan national team signed a five-year contract for a fee of £11 million, a deal that was finalized on the 23rd or June 2016. Mauricio Pochettino had already worked with the 28-year old before; the Argentinian manager brought him to Southampton in July 2013. Wanyama played a crucial role in the center of the Southampton midfield and Pochettino wanted him to play the same role in London.
Now three years later, Wanyama is rumoured to be linked with an exit from Tottenham before the close of the summer transfer window after falling down the pecking order at Tottenham due to his injury record last season. Wanyama spent a lot of time on the sidelines and ultimately only gathered 13 league appearances for Tottenham. Because of this, many analysts have wondered if there is still a place for him in the Spurs team.
Should Wanyama consider a move away from London in search for more time on the pitch? In an interview with ESPN, Wanyama said no team has come out to pursue his signature and he was not thinking about moving out of the club. West Ham is one of the clubs who is interested in acquiring the 28-year-old, knowing that Tanguy Ndombele joined Spurs this summer and plays on the same position as Wanyama. Taking in account that Tottenham paid a staggering £54 million to Lyon for Ndombélé, it is likely he will be the number one pick as the central defensive midfielder.
Ex-Tottenham defender, Pascal Chimbonda, is a fan of the defensive midfielder and is of the opinion he should stay with Tottenham. In an exclusive interview Chimbonda said the following: “Wanyama will be like a new signing for Tottenham next season. He managed to stay injury free towards the end of the season and played some much needed first team football. He was a little rusty, but he can now kick on and start the season fresh.”
Wanyama himself is adamant that he will see out his contract with Tottenham Hotspur, which ends in June 2021. The transfer window closes earlier in England than in most of the other European Leagues, so a move to another Premier League club is not likely. Surely, Tottenham is not going to stand in his way if they receive a good offer for him. But for now, it seems Victor wants to prove he is worthy to be a part of the starting 11, and if he can remain injury-free, he will get his chances to show he can still play at the top.