Tottenham Hotspur have been told to target Matthijs de Ligt if Toby Alderweireld leaves at the end of the season.
Dimitar Berbatov has told The Sun that Tottenham should go out and spend this summer, and suggested that Matthijs de Ligt should be the man at the top of their list should they lose Toby Alderweireld.
Alderweireld’s future appears to lie elsewhere as things stand. The Telegraph reports that he has a £25 million release clause this summer after Spurs activated a 12-month extension on his deal having previously failed to agree a long-term contract with the Belgian.
It would be a real blow for Spurs to lose Alderweireld in the summer. He has looked to be back to his best this season, and replacing him is not going to be easy if he does leave.
But Berbatov has urged Tottenham to prove their ambition by targeting one of the most exciting talents in Europe at the end of the season should Alderweireld end up leaving.
“Spurs need to go out and buy in the summer. The new stadium will be a strong selling point for potential signings, along with everything else — the squad, the manager, the location in London,” he told The Sun.
“If, for example, Toby Alderweireld leaves, they will need a new centre-back. Matthijs de Ligt at Ajax would be perfect.”
De Ligt would arguably be an outstanding signing for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. It is staggering to think that the defender is only 19 when he has established himself as such an important player for Ajax and the Netherlands.
It seems more than likely that all of Europe’s top clubs are going to be looking at de Ligt, and that is likely to leave Ajax demanding an eye-watering fee for his signature. The Sun recently reported that he was valued at £70 million, and that asking price is surely only going to increase.
That would hint that Spurs would be real underdogs if they were to join the chase for his signature. But after making such a major statement with the opening of their magnificent stadium, perhaps Tottenham can send out just as great a message with their work in the summer transfer window – whether that be with a bid for de Ligt or another huge name.
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