Tottenham Hotspur failed to land Frenkie de Jong ahead of Barcelona.
Ajax have made headlines in the Champions League this season, but they’re sadly bound to lose a whole host of stars – starting with midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The Eredivisie side dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League in the last 16, and Dutch wonderkid De Jong was at the heart of their success at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He was exceptional in possession, dancing away from Luka Modric like it was nothing, and Barcelona will be delighted they’ve already tied up a £65million summer deal to bring De Jong to Catalunya (The Independent).
Intriguingly though, De Jong has admitted to Four Four Two that he had the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but felt he needed another year at Ajax.
Now, hearing a top player has rejected you isn’t great news. Yet really, this is the boost that Spurs fans have been looking for in the transfer market – actual intent to sign a huge talent.
Spurs have gone two transfer windows without signing a player, with fans worrying that Daniel Levy either doesn’t want to spend money or they can’t attract quality players.
Yet De Jong would have cost a huge fee, and he himself admitted that he was tempted by the move to Spurs because of Mauricio Pochettino, and it was only for his own development that he stayed put at Ajax.
Spurs clearly have the money to spend on the right players, and that’s what fans wanted to know heading into the summer market. Those supporters would have no doubt loved to see De Jong in a Spurs shirt, but at least they now know that their club could be a major player in the transfer market if the right players become available.
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