Spurs’ Premier League starlet Oliver Skipp shares plenty of similarities with Barcelona’s £65m Dutchman.
“I considered Spurs’ offer long and hard. I see Tottenham as a very stable club, and they are only getting better. They give young players a chance and I see Mauricio Pochettino as a manager who really improves young players. I like the kind of football they are playing. I think it would have suited my game.
“(But) the moment wasn’t right.”
That was Frenkie de Jong, speaking to FourFourTwo in May, confirming that he turned down the chance to sign for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2018, approximately 12 months before he left Ajax for Barcelona in a £75 million deal (The Guardian).
This is the sort of agonising near miss that could go down in legend. De Jong looks every inch Europe’s next world class playmaker, a second coming of Xavi who is all-but guaranteed to lift trophy after trophy in the famous red and blue of Barca.
But maybe Tottenham have their own answer to De Jong after all.
Like the reigning Eredivisie champion, Oliver Skipp has composure beyond his years, a tenacity that goes under the radar and a mop of floppy blonde locks.
At the age of just 18, he already has six Premier League appearances to his name as well after forcing his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s plans. He’s simply too good to ignore.
And his latest midfield masterclass, coming in Thursday’s International Champions Cup defeat to Manchester United, will draw inevitable comparisons with Barcelona’s new number 21.
Time and time again, Skipp pierced United’s midfield lines with a perfectly weighted pass. His control of the ball was immaculate and there was also a couple of spot-on sliding challenges, the likes of which De Jong has made his trademark.
Skipp has a long way to go to match up to De Jong’s mastery but, in three years time, don’t bet against him being the beating heart of Spurs’ midfield.
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