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What's the story?
Mauricio Pochettino's complacency should not be mistaken for incompetence as Spurs are finally ready to take a stroll in the transfer market and they are all set to launch a €39m bid for Ajax defender Davinson Sanchez, according to The Sun.
It's not a clear path, however, for Spurs as they will face competition from Chelsea, Barcelona and Crystal Palace.
In case you didn't know...
The 21-year-old Colombian was Ajax's standout performer last season and was the Dutch giants' Player of the Year.
Ajax faced stiff competition from none other than Barcelona when they were in pursuit of the youngster in the summer of 2016.
Crystal Palace manager Frank De Boer knows all about the youngster's abilities and is keen on getting him signed up.
The heart of the matter
Ajax finished their domestic campaign of 2016/17 as runners up to Feyenoord. Sanchez appeared 45 times for the Dutch outfit and ended his season with a characteristically solid performance against Manchester United in the Europa Cup final.
Sanchez, who is primarily a central defender, can step into the shoes of a right back and does so with ease. Having sold Kyle Walker to City for £50m, Spurs will benefit a lot from having that kind of versatility in their ranks as they look to mount a challenge in Europe's elite competition, the Champions League.
The 21-year-old also scored 6 goals for Ajax this past season and those are impressive returns for a defender. He is full of focus in the defensive third and his short passing is one of his strongest attributes. That is perhaps the additional qualities that make Sanchez a highly sought after defender.
Tottenham and their manager Mauricio Pochettino have stayed inactive this summer while their immediate competition in the Premier League have been breaking the bank in a bid to acquire quality reinforcements to bolster their squads. United, City and Chelsea have already signed defenders and are seemingly settled with their defensive setups.
Spurs, however, have looked like they want to keep their existing system largely unperturbed but following the departure of Kyle Walker and the unavailability of Danny Rose owing to an injury he picked up earlier in January, they are willing to get into the thick of things in the closing stages transfer market.
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Author's take
Sanchez is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe right now. Even though he is only 21, he is pacey, passes well, is strong on the tackle and more than anything he has performed at the top level with ample maturity which is expected of a player his age. Sanchez is strong in the air and the 6 goals he scored in the domestic campaign is a testament to the same.
