Frenkie de Jong
According to The Express, Tottenham Hotspur will keep a close eye on Ajax wonder kid Frenkie de Jong.
The highly-rated Dutch U21 international has shown a lot of maturity over the last one year and was a part of the Ajax side that lost to Manchester United in the Europa League finals in 2017.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side suffered their first defeat of the Premier League campaign as the Lilywhites were overpowered 2-1 by a hungry and resolute Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
Prior to the defeat, Spurs boasted of a perfect record in the league with three wins out of three. However, the game against Watford exposed a lot of their flaws, which could come back to bite them later in the season. Primarily, the defeat revealed that the Lilywhites do not have the required depth to do well at all fronts, particularly with injuries to Moussa Sissoko and Erik Lamela.
Spurs do not seem to have an option when Harry Kane has a poor day. In the Watford game, Pochettino called upon Fernando Llorente to spice up the attack but the Spaniard looked way too sluggish and struggled to get on the ball. Christian Eriksen, one of the best playmakers in the Premier League, did not perform up to the mark and that proved to be a major setback for the north Londoners.
Dele Alli hasn’t been able to replicate the brilliance he had shown last season. The English youngster has shown the energy and the eagerness to burst forward with pace but the end result has always been poor. The midfielder has been guilty of squandering a lot of good chances in front of the goal as well.
Lucas Moura has by far been the best for Tottenham up front but he needs more support from the likes of Eriksen and Alli.
Having said that, Spurs need more reinforcements in the attacking third and the 21-year-old Frenkie de Jong could be the ideal option to provide cover and competition.
A central attacking midfielder by trade, de Jong’s style of play is outlined by his agility and dribbling prowess. Blessed with nimble feet capable of completing mesmerizing dribbles, de Jong has the vision and passing accuracy to find the strikers in the penalty area from anywhere in the park.
He is technically brilliant, making it hard to dispossess him. With his agility, the lean Dutchman has the tendency of latching onto loose balls in the midfield, allowing him to make the opposition pay for their mistakes.
De Jong has exceptional close control and often weaves past defenders through narrow spaces in the attacking third. With his ability to make quick turns and change directions all of a sudden, the Dutchman tends to bamboozle the defenders and creates that extra yard of space for himself to unleash a killer pass. He can also link play with his teammates with subtle flicks, layoffs and one-twos.
De Jong is a playmaker with immense potential and has all the makings of a future star. And he has already shown what he is capable of at such a tender age. That said, Spurs should not leave any stone unturned to secure his signature in January.
