Tottenham have entered the race to sign Ajax youngster Frenkie De Jong, amid persistent interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona for their man Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen’s future at Spurs remains a topic of widespread debate with The Mirror reporting that Real Madrid are planning to hurl £100m in Tottenham's direction for the Dane, who is out of contract next year.
Spurs fans are understandably nervous at the prospect of losing another player to Real Madrid, with star man Harry Kane also linked with a blockbuster transfer to the Spanish capital, while the club have previously watched both Gareth Bale and Luka Modric depart for the Bernabeu.
However, the same publication also states that Mauricio Pochettino has his eye on Ajax wonderkid De Jong, who has attracted interest from European giants Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
But, in order to pip the duo to his signature, Spurs would have to smash their current transfer record, which currently stands at £42million they splashed out to Ajax back in 2017 for Davinson Sanchez.
Spurs previously did a cushty bit of business with Ajax for Eriksen, who they purchased for just £11m in 2013, while their defender Toby Alderweireld came through the club’s famed youth system.
De Jong, who was previously linked with Spurs’ Premier League rivals Man City, was a youth product of Dutch side Willem II, before making the switch to Ajax with whom he helped lead through to the 2016/17 Europa League Final, where the club lost 2-0 to Man Utd. Meanwhile, he has collected five caps for Holland.
The technically gifted 21-year-old has inevitably drawn comparisons to former Ajax star Eriksen, who helped the club win three straight Eredivisie titles between 2011 and 2013, before switching to Spurs.
De Jong has excelled in a deeper midfield role, but his all-round ability and versatility mean he’s a threat in the final third, with his dazzling dribbles tormenting many an opponent - check out for yourself in the video below.
