Tottenham have finally agreed a purchase this summer transfer window and the club will pay £42 million to Ajax for defender Davinson Sanchez. The player is still subject to a United Kingdom work permit before he will be able to join Tottenham officially.
Spurs have already agreed personal terms with the Colombian centre-back, and the 21-year-old Sanchez will join as soon as he is allowed to due to gaining a work permit.
“I am very excited to be signing for such a famous club as Tottenham Hotspur,” Sanchez said.
“I am looking forward to working with [manager] Mauricio Pochettino and the players and meeting everyone there.
“I would like to thank the coach, management, players and fans of Ajax. It is a great move for me to come here to develop my career.”
The deal to bring Sanchez to North London shatters Spurs’ previous transfer record of £30m. The previous club record transfer brought Moussa Sissoko to Tottenham last summer.
Ajax are the true winners in the deal for Sanchez, however, as the club only signed the defender 12 months ago for £5m. The Dutch side will now make a £37m profit from the Colombian’s sale.
Sanchez’s play helped Ajax finish second in the Dutch league a season ago and qualify for the Europa League Final; where they were beaten by Manchester United.
“I would like to thank the coach, management, players and fans of Ajax,” Sanchez said in a statement released by Tottenham. “It is a great move for me to come here to develop my career.”
Despite Sanchez’s raw talent and high price tag, former Spurs’ manager Martin Jol spoke of the player’ need to improve further as a defender.
“Where can Sanchez play? If Pochettino plays three at the back, that’s different,” Jol said. “Then maybe [Eric] Dier or [Mousa] Dembele doesn’t play. And I think Dembele is probably the best player at Spurs.
“I think the ideal situation would be to take Sanchez on loan with an option [to buy]. See if he plays. But that’s impossible. Ajax gave him a contract until 2022, so they can ask whatever they want.”
Tottenham are still being linked with Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier.
Davinson Sanchez 2016-17 key stats:
- 6 goals in 32 appearances in the Dutch league
- 2 yellow cards in 32 appearances in the Dutch league
- 1.5 tackles per Dutch league match
- 1.9 interceptions per Dutch league match
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