Reported Arsenal and Leicester City target Nicolas Tagliafico has a verbal agreement to leave Ajax this summer, but only if a club is willing to pay £24.5 million for the Argentina international, according to the Sun (17 July, page 54).
At the age of 27, a left-back who has spent his entire professional career in South America and Holland is running out of time if he wants to prove himself in one of the major leagues in European football.
And he knows it too.
Speaking to Ajax TV a matter of weeks ago, sporting director Marc Overmars admitted that Tagliafico has his heart set on graduating from the Amsterdam Arena finishing school this summer as he looks to secure a life-changing move while at the peak of his powers.
“With Nico, he has reached the age that I understand that he wants to take the next step,” Overmars explains.
Ajax are fully aware of their place in the footballing food chain and it seems that, after bidding farewell to Hakim Ziyech, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt in the last 12 months, they will not stand in Tagliafico’s way.
Arsenal and Leicester are willing to offer the former Independiente flyer a chance in the Premier League.
However they will have to pay £24.5 million to get the deal done, with the Sun reporting that Tagliafico will only be sold for a sizeable fee even if Ajax have verbally agreed to let him follow his dreams.
As a result, it seems that Leicester is the most likely destination as things stand, especially with doubts swirling about Ben Chilwell’s future at the King Power.
If the England international does bid farewell, Leicester could have around £60 million burning a hole in their back pocket – far more than a cash-strapped Arsenal will be able to spend during what looks like a tough summer at the Emirates.
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