Winston Reid the Right Player for Tottenham to Target in January Transfer Window

West Ham United and New Zealand defender Winston Reid has been a regular name in the transfer rumours and gossip pages for several years.

Now, with his Hammers contract running down, it seems that the time has finally come for Reid to move up to a bigger club. 

Arsenal and Liverpool have previously been linked with his signature, but Brendan Rodgers' summer acquisition of Dejan Lovren means Anfield is an unlikely destination. 

Arsene Wenger remains keen but is set on a January move, while West Ham made it known in October that they are set against selling him in this window.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce virtually confirmed that Reid would leave the club when his contract expires in the summer during a December press conference. He told journalists, "There is no future for Winston Reid at West Ham United at the moment because his contract finishes. The only thing is that his contract finishes June 30."

Allardyce also suggested that Reid may have made an illegal verbal agreement with a rival Premier League club, though he stressed that he couldn't prove it. 

It is interesting to note that Reid is represented by a minor agency and is by far their biggest client. They would surely be advocating for him to secure the most lavish wages available which, at this point, appear to be being offered by Tottenham Hotspur. 

Ex-Hammer Steve Lomas described Reid as the club's "best and most consistent player," in an interview with talkSPORT (h/t the International Business Times). Michael Cox, of ZonalMarking.com, rated Reid as one the Premier League's best central defenders last season. 

According to The Telegraph, Reid has requested a £1 million signing bonus and wages of approximately £60,000 per week. Those lavish demands would put Reid level with Jan Vertonghen as Spurs' highest-paid defender. 

While those sums will not break the bank, and Younes Kaboul's departure would soften the impact, it would suggest an expectation of first-team football for Reid.

According to ESPN, Reid joined West Ham for £4 million in 2010. His reputation has been significantly enhanced since then, so the signing fee and wages would realistically be a steal. 

Reid is a warrior. He rarely takes the ball beyond halfway but anticipates the play well and is an excellent one-on-one marker.

He is excellent at covering his zone, battles well in the air and compares favourably with Swansea City captain Ashley Williams, despite being four years his junior. It is little surprise that Arsenal moved on from targeting Williams in the summer to tracking Reid. 

Even Ron Vlaar has had a less impressive season than Reid, although injury has hampered the Dutchman.

Reid then, it seems, is an excellent Premier League defender and certainly worth the wages he has requested. 

The question is whether he would be a good signing for Spurs. 

Reid is right-footed but has often played as a left-sided defender, and his acquisition would call into question the future of Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian defender refused a new deal at Spurs in September and may yet have his eyes on moving on. 

A one-in-one-out move with Reid replacing Vertonghen would give Spurs a more rugged defence. Reid is stronger and more aggressive than Vertonghen, though he lacks his quality as a footballer. 

Reid possesses a rare determination, and his goal-line save against West Bromwich Albion highlights that desire. Spurs could do worse than signing so single-minded a defender. His lack of self-regard is John Terry-esque, which is a high compliment indeed.

Vertonghen lends Tottenham's back line a certain class, and his versatility has only enhanced his value to Spurs since joining the club. Reid stands one inch taller than Vertonghen and has a similar versatility, playing right-back for New Zealand and West Ham on occasion. 

Spurs' defence has improved this season but remains in need of further development. Of the top 10 sides, only Newcastle United have conceded more than Tottenham's 29 league goals this season.

This piece by Jimmy Lee on Playing for 90 analyses Reid's performances against Manchester United and Liverpool, where he demonstrated his value as a last-ditch defender. 

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

If Mauricio Pochettino is able to keep both Reid and Vertonghen, he would, along with Federico Fazio and Eric Dier, possess four reliable central defenders that he could rotate to combat fatigue and match up against particular opposition. 

It would also allow Spurs to move on from Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches. 

Neither Kaboul nor Chiriches can be relied upon in the centre of defence. They have been given ample opportunities to prove their worth but are too great a liability to remain in Spurs' squad. Ending their Tottenham careers should be the first priority. 

It should be Spurs' goal, and if they can make those moves happen while adding Reid, they will have a superior defensive group while paying lower net wages. The added bonus of a potential transfer fee from the sales only sweetens the deal. 

Sweeter still for Spurs fans would be taking one of West Ham's best players on a free transfer. While this would not approach the treachery of Sol Campbell's move from Tottenham to Arsenal, Reid would join the likes of Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe as permanent members of the Upton Park hall of shame. 

Those players made the move from east to north London and the Upton Park faithful have never let them forget it. 

Winston Reid represents something of an obvious transfer move. He is a consistently impressive central defender that has been a transfer target of Champions League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool and is available for a pittance. 

If Spurs replace one or both of their unreliable, error-prone reserve defenders with Reid, their squad would be improved and they would have weakened potential rivals. 

Reid cannot be expected to replace Jan Vertonghen, but he can certainly compete with Fazio and form a deputy partnership with Dier. Those four would form, arguably, the strongest defensive quartet in England. 

If Spurs can agree a pre-contract with Reid, they will have made a sensible move that will improve them substantially.

Whether they are preparing for a Champions League campaign, another tilt at the Europa League or no European football at all, the 2015-16 season will be an important one for Spurs.

The inclusion of Reid in that campaign will improve their chances of success.