Spurs Transfer Rumours: £48m Bid For Ajax Defender Rebuffed
Are Tottenham in a transfer fight with Juventus?
HITC have reported (via Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb.com) that Tottenham are in a bidding war with Juventus over prodigious 18-year old Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.
The Italian site claims Spurs have already tabled a huge £48 million bid for the teenager, and they also said that Ajax are keen to hold out for as much as £52.5 million. That seems rather precise, but it may have something to do with a release clause in the player's contract.
Last season, de Ligt made 39 appearances as Ajax finished second in the Eredivisie table, four points behind league winners PSV Eindhoven. Further, the defender captained his side five times last campaign and has notched five caps for the Dutch national team.
HITC's report suggests Juventus have been put off by the sizeable fee Spurs offered for de Ligt. That may clear the field for Mauricio Pochettino's men to grab one of the hottest young defensive prospects in Europe right now.
There's zero chance Ajax will want to let de Ligt, who has three years left on his contract at the Amsterdam Arena, go without any buyer matching their demands.