Tottenham remain keen on Ajax star Donny van de Beek but face competition from Inter Milan and Manchester United, according to reports in Italy.
Van de Beek was one of the stars of Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season. He scored in the first leg against Spurs before Lucas Moura’s extraordinary hat-trick broke hearts in Amsterdam.
Both before and during Ajax’s European exploits, Van de Beek was linked with Tottenham, but his performances last season reportedly saw him attract strong interest from Real Madrid.
FCInterNews claims Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid all joined Spurs on Van de Beek’s list of suitors in the summer, but now it is believed the Londoners are competing with Inter and Manchester United for his signature.
The report suggests Ajax wanted €80 million before the summer transfer window closed, which could be why Van de Beek ended up staying in the Netherlands. But there is thought to be a gentleman’s agreement between the club and player which should see his price fall if offers continue to come in.
It will be interesting to see if Tottenham formally revive their interest in the 22-year-old in January, perhaps as a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen.
A gentlemen’s agreement isn’t worth the paper it is written on.