Tottenham Hotspur reportedly want to add Ajax’s struggling Eredivisie ace Edson Alvarez to Jose Mourinho’s squad.
Rafael Van der Vaart has backed struggling Ajax ace Edson Alvarez to save his career at the Amsterdam giants amid ongoing links with Tottenham Hotspur, while speaking to Marca Claro.
It is not often that Ajax spend an eight-figure sum on one player. So they obviously saw something special in a commanding Mexico international when they decided to invest £13 million in him last summer, making the former Club America star the fifth biggest signing in their history.
But a man who was tipped to replace the brilliant Matthijs de Ligt at the Eredivisie champions has endured a season to forget so far. According to De Telegraaf, he is yet to convince head coach Erik ten Hag, with Alavez featuring in just two of the last ten league games.
The report adds that Tottenham are interested in offering the 21-year-old a fresh start, although Ajax director Marc Overmars blocked a January approach from the North London side.
Van der Vaart, a legendary former midfielder who played for both clubs during a storied career, has spoken out in support of a man whose £13 million price-tag is starting to look like a millstone.
“He is a very good player, but he is at Ajax,” Van der Vaart said.
“The team has a lot of quality, players who play the same position as him. He is young, he is a fighter. In the end, he will play a lot.”
A centre-half by trade who is equally comfortable in a defensive midfield role, it is surely no coincidence that Alvarez shares a few similarities with one Eric Dier.
The Mail reports that an England international is facing an uncertain future at Spurs with his current contract due to expire in 2021. Could Alvarez replace him?
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