Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur side had wanted to sign Frenkie de Jong prior to his move to Barcelona.
Jamie Redknapp claims Frenkie de Jong, who almost signed for Tottenham Hotspur, is the best young midfielder in the world.
Pochettino had wanted to sign De Jong from Ajax, but Barca ended up being the midfielder’s first choice.
The Spanish side ended up paying £65 million for De Jong (Guardian), who will start against England for Holland this evening in the Nations League.
And Redknapp said: “Plenty of exciting talent will be on show on Thursday night but England need to somehow stop Frenkie de Jong. He is the best young midfielder in the world right now. He is special. He runs games.
“For such a young player, he shows so much intelligence. He assesses situations as well as anyone I’ve seen. That’s why Barcelona have signed him. England have to watch out for him on Thursday night. If you give this guy any time on the ball, or space, then he will hurt you.”
Tottenham may have missed out on De Jong, but they appear to have other midfield targets.
Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have both been heavily linked with Tottenham in recent times, as the north London club finally look set to invest.
Spurs have not made a signing for well over a year, but could finally be in the market for additions this summer.
Pochettino’s men want to kick on after losing in the Champions League final last weekend.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
