Arsenal and Tottenham target Nicolas Tagliafico has rejected a new contract at current club Ajax, his agent Ricardo Schlieper has revealed.
In an interview with Argentine outlet Muy Indipendiente, Nicolas Tagliafico’s agent has disclosed that his client has turned down an offer a new deal by Ajax. The Argentine international is the subject of interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Nicolas Tagliafico has made quite a splash in his career near-decade long senior club football career, having started out at Banfield before making his name at another Argentinean club, Independiente. It is while he was at Independiente that the 26-year-old went on to break into the national side, having also been entrusted with the club captaincy.
In January 2018, the player made his first foray into European football on a permanent deal, joining Ajax. And, over the last 15 months, he has been a pivotal player in one of the most exciting young sides across the continent, which has invariably attracted a number of top clubs. Two such outfits are Arsenal and Tottenham.
At Arsenal, Nacho Monreal has been one of the underrated stalwarts over the years. But, at 33, his peak years are behind him. His alternative, Sead Kolasinac has blown hot and cold since joining the Gunners and continues to show a weakness on the defensive front.
Tagliafico is thus, a viable target for Arsenal to pursue, with the 26-year-old’s forays down the left flank an attribute that they could benefit from immensely. As for Tottenham, the interest in Tagliafico comes as a bit of a surprise.
Mauricio Pochettino currently has Ben Davies and Danny Rose at his disposal, with both the players rotating effectively. But, a report from The Sun suggests that Tottenham are in for Tagliafico due to doubts over Rose’s future at the club.
Should Rose indeed leave, Tagliafico would be a top class replacement, who could provide the best years of his career to Tottenham. Spurs and Arsenal have now received a huge boost in pursuit of the 26-year-old, whose agent Ricardo Schlieper has revealed that they have rejected an offer from Ajax over a new contract, and are looking for the next step in the player’s career.
“Ajax made an economic offer to match what the clubs claiming to Nicolas could afford, but it was not accepted because it is the just time to take a leap. Let’s see what happens in the market. Nico has an enormous virtue that is his professionalism, his entire discipline. This, sooner or later, takes you to the place you want.”
Asked about the player’s valuation, Sclieper said that Ajax will slap a price tag of around €20 million on the Arsenal and Tottenham target, “There has been no talk of numbers with Ajax, but it will ask for a significant amount. I think it will be more than €20 million.”
The valuation goes in sync with the transfer strategy of both Arsenal and Tottenham, with the two clubs operating on limited budgets over the past year or so. But, The Sun have also claimed that Atletico Madrid are interested in Tagliafico as well, which is a cause for worry for the Premier League duo.
It now remains to be seen where Nicolas Tagliafico ends up in the summer. But, for now, it looks like he is set to leave Ajax to take the next leap in his career, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid looking like possible destinations.
