Report: Tottenham Double Deal for Midfielders Brozovic, De Jong Falls Through
Tottenham has hit yet another road bump in pursuit of new midfield maestros. With a dismal transfer window in which they signed absolutely nobody, fans will hope that January offers a different outcome.
However, if Daniel Levy has been working behind the scenes to secure the signatures of Inter's Marcelo Brozovic and Frenkie de Jong of Ajax, his time has been somewhat wasted.
Italian publication Calcio Mercato report that I Nerazzurri are to offer their Croat an improved deal, that would see him continue with the club until 2021. As part of the contract, his €50m release clause would be removed, throwing a spanner into Tottenham's works.
Looking to rebuild and challenge perennial champions Juventus in Serie A, Inter boss Luciano Spalletti has been given major finance to play with by the Suning Holdings Group. Bringing in Radja Nainggolan from Roma, many thought Brozovic's time was up at the Giuseppe Meazza.
However, with Champions League football this year - rather interestingly drawn in the same group as Spurs - Inter will need quality depth in their squad. It appears that the man from Zagreb is part of their plans going forward.
In another potential deal, Tottenham had hoped to lure highly rated starlet de Jong. The 21-year-old has been the apple of PSG and Barcelona's eye, but Mauricio Pochettino is also interested.
With Marc Overmars saying his player wasn't going anywhere in the summer transfer window, rumors will no doubt spark back up in time for start of next year. Even if Spurs are looking to put down a €50m bid, Mundo Deportivo explains why La Blaugrana are still hot favorites.
Ajax's director of football has close contacts in Catalonia, and may feel the most agreeable bid will come from his previous side. With De Jong's intelligent movement and fantastic ball play, Barcelona seems a great fit for both parties.
