Barcelona were originally very keen on Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez when he was at Ajax.

Tottenham Hotspur were not the only side interested in record signing Davinson Sanchez this summer.
The Colombia international had been keenly tracked by Barcelona, with Mundo Deportivo reporting they made ‘constant trips’ to scout him in action for Ajax.
The Express reported in June that Sanchez even admitted his desire was to play for the Catalan giants, so why did they not push ahead and make a move?

The reason Barcelona went cold on Sanchez was not necessarily because they took a dim view on him, but because they took an even keener interest in his teammate.
Mundo Deportivo report Barcelona have become fascinated by Matthijs de Ligt, who they ‘discovered’ while scouting Sanchez.
De Ligt, 18, signed a new contract just this summer, which does not preclude him from a future move, but meant his departure in this transfer window was always unlikely.

Barcelona fortunately still have a good portion of the Neymar money still available, and are well positioned to splash out on De Ligt next summer.
It is to Tottenham’s advantage that their hesitation caused them not to make a big play for Sanchez, and it may still be a decision they come to regret.
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