According to the London Evening Standard Spurs hope their strong connections with Ajax will help them win the battle for young defender Matthijs de Ligt, as they prepare for the inevitable departure of Toby Alderweireld.
Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign a centre-half this summer and the article describes how the club have monitored De Ligt since he broke into Ajax’s team in 2016 and it is understood there have already been discussions between the clubs about a possible deal.
It adds however that the 18-year-old is also a target for a host of top European clubs, including Manchester City, and we would have to surpass the club-record £42million they paid Ajax for Davinson Sanchez last summer.
It adds that it is understood that we are also keen on Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles.
We would not be able to compete in a bidding war for De Ligt with Premier League champions but the Spurs hierarchy are hopeful that our long-established relationship with Ajax will give them the edge.
The article adds that Spurs also admire Ajax defender Joel Veltman and winger Justin Kluivert, the 19-year-old son of former Barcelona and Holland forward Patrick Kluivert, with the youngster saying he will not sign a new contract at the Johan Cruijff Arena and claimed Ajax tried to sell him to Spurs without his consent last summer, however Spurs are not thought be pursuing him this summer.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
