Tottenham Hotspur may have gone an entire summer without making additions to their squad, but Mauricio Pochettino continues to keep an eye on players who can improve his team in the future. They have been tracking Dutch sensation Frenkie de Jong for quite a while now, and according to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Spurs would now go head to head with Barcelona and Manchester City for the signature of de Jong, who is valued at £40m.
A transfer target for the Catalans even in the summer, the 21-year old came through the ranks at Willem II but only made a name for himself after joining Ajax in 2015. He became a regular in the first team at Ajax just last season, where he made 26 appearances for the club all campaign. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted players in the youth setup in the Netherlands and is well worth his price tag.
Frenkie de Jong International Debut From Yesterday
He made his international debut just yesterday, coming off the bench in Netherlands’ game against Peru. De Jong completed all his 22 passes, and also picked up an assist along with two key passes and a chance created in that game. But don’t let the stats fool you, he is actually a defensive midfielder, who can also put in a shift at centre-back.
Strengths
Extremely confident on the ball and even more impressive with his dribbling, the 21-year old loves to have the ball at his feet and can skip out of tight spaces with relative ease. His vision and technique are right up there with the best in Eredivisie. He has close to one key pass and two dribbles completed per game this season and his ability to turn defence into attack with just one pass or one dribble is what makes him effective.
Weakness
He is not the strongest player around and does not like to go into physical battles, but his positioning and understanding of the game allow him to get the better of opponents, who play on his weaknesses. De Jong also has 1.5 tackles and one interception per 90 minutes this season, as he continues to improve the defensive side of his game.
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Verdict
He has a few things he still has to work on, but at 21, he is one of the most impressive youngsters around in Europe at the moment in his role. He has already made 46 appearances for the Ajax senior side where he has two goals and nine assists, and his international debut is only going to give him more exposure.
So De Jong is ready for more significant challenges and is well worth his price tag of £40m.
