Tottenham are the latest club to join Arsenal in the race to sign Argentine international Nicolas Tagliafico, who currently plies his trade for Ajax.
The race for Nicolas Tagliafico is warming up quite nicely, if the report from The Sun is anything to go by. The Argentine international has been reported to be a target for Arsenal come summer. But, it seems their local rivals Tottenham are ready to battle it out for the Ajax FC superstar.
The report states that Tagliafico is rated at around £15 million, which is surprising, since there are so many top clubs interested in the Argentine international and he has a long-term contract with Ajax, one which expires in 2022. The eyebrow-raising part is that, despite all of this, Ajax are actually prepared to cash in on the 26-year-old, as per the report.
Nicolas Tagliafico joined Ajax in January 2018 and has since seen his value and stature rise exponentially within the footballing world. Now an established member of the Argentine National Team and one of the hottest properties in Europe, as far as left-backs are concerned, the 26-year-old could be on his way to the big leagues, with Arsenal, Tottenham and even Barcelona interested.
Arsenal’s problems at left-back are well documented. Sead Kolasinac is not defensively adept enough to play the role for the Gunners while Nacho Monreal’s ageing presence is more suited to a central role now. Tagliafico could also be a potent addition, should Unai Emery continue to roll with the three-man defence and wing-backs.
In such a case, Kolasinac is the only true option out on the left and Tagliafico’s arrival would provide much-needed depth and add further quality to the squad.
Tottenham though, have entered the race and are looking to play spoilsport. Spurs have Danny Rose and Ben Davies on the left side. Mauricio Pochettino wants more competition on the flank while the manager is also preparing for the contingency of their left-backs being targeted by other top clubs in the summer.
The report iterates that Tottenham are looking to splash £15 million on Tagliafico and while it goes along with the kind of valuation we have seen in earlier reports, it will be a surprise if the 26-year-old is let go by Ajax for such a measly fee, especially with a transfer battle brewing between Arsenal, Tottenham and other potential suitors.
Tagliafico’s rising stature means he is unlikely to stay an Ajax player for long. Expect bids to come in thick and fast during the summer. Arsenal and Tottenham will look to ensure the Argentine international is heading to England.
