Tottenham have reportedly seen a bid rejected for AFC Ajax midfield sensation Frenkie de Jong, who is also a top target for Barcelona.
As per a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur had an offer of €50 million rejected for Dutch midfield sensation and Barcelona target Frenkie de Jong.
The 21-year old midfielder, who plies his trade for Eredivisie giants Ajax has emerged as a top transfer target for Barcelona. The reigning La Liga champions view the youngster as the long-term heir to legend Andres Iniesta, who left the club in the summer and were understood to have made overtures to sign the youngster last month.
The Catalans were keen on getting a deal done in the summer itself, afraid that the midfielder’s stock will continue to rise. The club technical secretary Eric Abidal held regular conversations with the player’s representatives over the past few months, while also negotiating with Ajax director Marc Overmars.
Barcelona reportedly made an offer in the range of €25-€30 million mark, but were straight away rebuffed by the Dutch side. However, they are believed to be still in talks with Ajax, as they grow anxious over interest in the 21-year old from other clubs, mainly from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Lilywhites, who ended the summer window without any incomings, have a concrete interest in signing De Jong and are understood to have made contact with Ajax last week.
The report from Mundo Deportivo claims that Spurs made an offer of €50 million for the Netherlands international, but saw it rejected as Ajax held firm over their stance of the player not being for sale.
Having come through the youth ranks at Willem II, De Jong moved to Ajax in the summer of 2015 and established himself as a first-team regular in the 2017-18 campaign. The 21-year old scored once and set up nine more goals in 26 games last season, but is yet to score or assist in his 10 appearances so far in the ongoing season.
De Jong made his international debut for Netherlands on Thursday in a friendly against Peru and then went on to feature in the UEFA Nations League encounter against France at the weekend.
Reports had emerged a few weeks ago that Barcelona had a provisional agreement with Ajax to sign the 21-year old next summer. But they seem to be way off the mark and with Tottenham stepping up their pursuit, things are bound to get interesting.
A technically gifted footballer, who can play in any role in midfield, De Jong clearly is meant for bigger and better things and an exit from Ajax in the next summer seems inevitable. However, it remains to be seen if Barcelona are able to land their man or if Tottenham pip the Blaugrana to the 21-year old’s signing.
