Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a huge setback in their chase of AFC Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer. According to recent reports, the Dutch giants are refusing to part ways with their prized asset during this summer transfer window.
In a recent interview, the football director of Ajax, Marc Overmars made the club’s stance clear and was quoted to have said, “Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt are not for sale as far as we are concerned. No, not even for absurd amounts. Let them play 40 matches for Ajax this season.
“Come back next year. We are now at a point where we say ‘boys, we do not sell’.”
With Spurs set to miss out on the Dutch prospect this summer, let’s take a look at three replacements for Pochettino to consider in this post-season.
Dayot Upamecano
The 19-year-old had caught the eye with a number of awe-inspiring displays for RB Leipzig during the course of the last campaign. The French teenager has featured in 40 league matches in the German top-flight and has three goals to his name. At a mere age of 19, he is vastly experienced and can be considered as one of the most promising prospects in European football. Spurs will do well to acquire his talents as Upamecano has the potential to be a future Premier League star if given the opportunity to showcase his talents at White Hart Lane.
Malang Sarr
The teenage centre-back is currently playing for OGC Nice and performed brilliantly last season in the top tier of French football. He has made 48 appearances in the Ligue 1 and has already become one of the most influential members of Patrick Viera’s team. Pochettino will do well to prize him away from French football if he can convince the 19-year-old wonderkid to switch clubs in the near future.
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James Tarkowski
If the North Londoners are looking for someone more experienced, then they can definitely consider making a move for this Burnley defensive prospect. Tarkowski had put in a number of eye-catching displays at the back under Sean Dyche’s stewardship last season. He will be the perfect alternative to Matthijs de Ligt and could turn out to a clever signing if Tottenham can manage to pull off such a deal. The 25-year-old centre-half had featured in 33 matches for the Clarets and played a crucial role in his side’s climb to the top half of the league standings in the last campaign.
