Despite interest from all parties, Tottenham Hotspur will have to increase their offer significantly if they are to secure the services of their number one midfield target this summer.
Spurs search for new midfielder
Whilst this year has seen Spurs brush off the cobwebs of last season’s disappointing eighth-placed finish and compete for the top four, Ange Postecoglu’s side still looks far from the finished product. January saw reinforcements come through the door with Radu Dragusin making the move to north London following a £26.7m transfer from Genoa, alongside former Chelsea man, Timo Werner, who joined on loan.
With attention now turned to the summer window, Spurs chief, Daniel Levy, has spoken on his ambitions to bolster his midfield. The Premier League side have struggled for consistency in the middle of the park with a number of players taking up responsibilities but nobody managing to make the position their own. Pape Matar Sarr has shown glimpses of his amazing potential, but is still young, while there are doubts “within” the club about pushing Rodrigo Bentancur too much after such a long injury layoff.
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Eager to get business done early, Levy has made no attempt to hide his admiration for one particular midfielder. Despite the obvious desire to strike a deal, Spurs will now have to up their offer to make it a reality.
Levy told to increase Spurs offer
Owing to continued financial struggles, this summer will once again see the door at Barcelona open for a number of their star players to leave. One such individual up for sale is Frenkie De Jong, who arrived from Ajax in 2019, but now looks to have called time on his spell in Catalonia.
News out of Spain has suggested that the Dutchman could be making the move to England, via Sport Witness, as De Jong “would be open to listening to offers” and Spurs “have already shown their interest in him”. Whilst the interest is mutual, if any deal is to be completed, it will cost far more than Levy and co first envisioned.
The Spanish outlet states that Tottenham have already made a bid of £51million and would go as high as £60million, but Barcelona are standing firm that £85 million would be the minimum to take De Jong away from Catalonia. This rather large difference of £34million could prevent any deal from getting over the line.
Whilst the price tag may appear hefty, De Jong more than justifies it, ranking fourth among midfielders for passes completed in La Liga this season and fifth for carries. It is this skill with the ball at his feet that led to his current boss Xavi singing his praises in a press conference back in 2020, telling the press:
“He’s an extraordinary footballer. A midfielder that is not afraid to receive the ball in difficult areas, I’ll repeat it, he’s a very good player.“
There is no doubt that De Jong would make an instant impact at Spurs. A robust midfielder who can progress the ball and dictate play could be what takes Postecoglu’s side to the next level. Bringing the Dutchman to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be a serious coup, but it all depends on whether Levy will open his chequebook and match Barcelona’s asking price.
