FRENKIE FOR ERIK
De Jong to fill Christian void
SPURS v MAN UTD
TOTTENHAM have entered the race to sign Ajax’s brilliant young midfielder Frenkie de Jong – as Real Madrid prepare a £100m bid for Christian Eriksen. Brilliant prospect De Jong is ready to be sold off to the highest bidder at the end of
TOTTENHAM MANCHESTER UNITED
the season – and Paris Saint-germain are in pole position after telling Ajax they will pay £67m.
But Madrid have made Eriksen, 26, a top summer target as they look to revamp at the Bernabeu.
And Spurs have responded by contacting De Jong’s agent Ali Dursun to give him guarantees that will match the current highest bid for his 21-year-old client.
The London club know they will have to spend bigger than ever if Eriksen goes – with a move to their new £1billion stadium looming and boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted by Manchester United.
Tottenham would bank £100m-plus from the sale of Eriksen, but the Denmark international has told his Monaco-based Dutch agent Martin Schoots that he will only leave Spurs to join a top club in Spain.
He is coveted by Madrid – but Barcelona have also been tracking the playmaker.
De Jong looked destined for Manchester City late last year – only for the Premier League champions to request that the deal was put on ice.
That enabled PSG to launch a charm offensive – and Dursun met officials of the French champions in Amsterdam in December.
De Jong, who currently earns less than £10,000 a week in Holland, was devastated to miss out on the chance with Pep Guardiola at City.
But he was impressed when PSG made a contract offer worth £100,000 a week AFTER tax.
Spurs are long-term admirers of De Jong (above) and have been tracking his progress for the past 18 months.
He looked to be out of their range when City and PSG entered the race for his signature.
But Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has developed a strong working relationship with the Ajax Director of Football, Mark Overmars.
The belief in Amsterdam is that PSG remain favourites to land De Jong at the end of the season.