Tottenham Set to Rival Barcelona in Race to Sign Young Dutch Prospect Frenkie de Jong
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is keen on Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong and will consider competing with Barcelona for the young Dutchman's signature.
Although Ajax have been in talks with Barcelona to let De Jong join the Spanish champions next season, there is no official agreement in place and Pochettino has not given up hope of tempting the 21-year-old to north London.
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Mundo Deportivo claim that Tottenham are serious about their interest and have the financial armaments to make a tempting bid, having finished the recent summer transfer window without spending a penny.
Barcelona were in talks with Ajax over the summer and if the Amsterdam club had failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, they may have been forced to sell De Jong for financial reasons.
Their qualification staved off De Jong's departure until the end of this season at least, but with a whole host of European powerhouses taking an interest in him, Ajax may be powerless to keep him at the club next summer.
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Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund have all been mentioned in connection with De Jong, though it is not believed that any of them put in a bid for him.
De Jong's value will not dip below €50m (£44.7m), but that fee is no trouble for any of the aforementioned clubs in the current market.
Ajax will hope that another excellent season from De Jong could see his value rise even further. He made his international debut for the Netherlands as a substitute in Thursday's win over Peru, providing an assist for Memphis Depay's first goal.
