That most-wanted list for potential players to be wearing the white of Spurs at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has just gotten a little bit shorter with news that one of the Lilywhites’ top transfer targets is set to be poached from right underneath their noses by none another than their vanquishers in the Champions League last week, Barcelona.
The five-time European Cup winners and incumbent La Liga title holders are set to take 19-year-old Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt in a move seen by Marca to replace long-time stalwart Gerard Piqué, whose performances of late have been extremely questionable.
Barca haven’t won a league fixture in their last four matches, and one of the reasons is that, despite having scoring in each of those games, they’ve shipped goals in like nobody’s business; nine goals in eight matches is no befitting a team of the Blaugrana’s standard.
De Ligt however has been making a name for himself in the Eredivisie, and even with his tender teenage years, has already made close to 80 first-team appearances for de Godenzonen. The Netherlands international is contracted at Ajax until 2021, with the Eredivise side having the option to extend his contract for an extra year.
The centre-back suits Barcelona not only because of his unquestionable talent, but as he is a right-footed player to complete the left-preferred Samuel Umtiti. A deal is said by the Spanish publication to be in place for the end of the 2018/19 season.
Tottenham failed to bring in any new faces the past summer, seemingly intent on keeping the cohesion and unity the North London side displayed last season which gained a podium finish in the Premier League, but with players such as Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen and now Jan Vertonghen having spells out right at the start of the new season, questions are beginning to be asked as to whether this was the right course of action.
Furthermore, if Manchester United rear their head to try again to try and bring Toby Alderweireld to Old Trafford in January, then, in De Ligt, this is one potential replacement Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino will have to rule out.
The 19-year-old smothered the Bayer Munich attack last night...
This tackle in the 88th minute summed up the Dutchman's night.
