Tottenham are lining up a January bid for Ajax central midfielder Frenkie De Jong, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claim Spurs are ready to make a formal move to land the newly-capped Holland international after their failed summer pursuit of Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish.
The Telegraph report Mauricio Pochettino is keen to strengthen in central midfield in the January window as he looks for a replacement for Mousa Dembele, who is out of contract next summer.
Good move for Tottenham?
Yes. De Jong is a rising star of European football who has made some of Europe’s biggest clubs sit up and take notice of his performance in the last 12 months. Aged 21, the 5ft 11 in (source: Transfermarkt) player has developed into a key player at Ajax and been rewarded with his first two Holland caps over the international break. Spurs have a history of prising outstanding young players from the Dutch club, with Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez navigating the well-trodden path from Amsterdam to London in the last five years. If Spurs can win the race for De Jong, they might land the replacement for 31-year-old Dembele they are crying out for.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Don’t rule it out, especially as Spurs failed to sign a player during the summer in what was a Premier League first. Pochettino has previously said he’s not a fan of the January window, but the Londoners spent £25million on Lucas Moura earlier this year, and another blockbuster signing is highly possible.
This Is Futbol rating 5/10