Tottenham Transfer News: January Return for Ajax Star Frenkie de Jong Rumoured

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to launch another offer for Ajax star midfielder Frenkie de Jong in January after the club were said to have recently had an offer for the player turned down.

MailOnline's Jordan Seward reported on Sunday that Spurs saw a £45 million offer for the player rejected last week, but Matt Law of the Telegraph wrote that another winter bid could be in the offing.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino failed to sign any new players in the summer transfer window, and it's suggested De Jong could be a long-term successor for Mousa Dembele, who has less than a year left on his contract.

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was the player most closely linked with a move to north London over the summer, but Tottenham chose to save their funds.

The reports of a £45 million offer for De Jong suggest they have much grander intentions for the winter window, however, and for good reason considering Barcelona have also been mentioned as De Jong admirers.

The 21-year-old recently made his senior debut for the Netherlands against Peru, and OptaJohan underlined how joining the elite international level didn't appear to faze the youngster:

De Jong enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2017-18 and made 26 appearances in all competitions—including 18 starts. However, Seward cited a Mundo Deportivo report that said Barca are eager to agree a deal as swiftly as possible and cut Spurs out of the equation.

The playmaker followed up his debut against Peru with a 90-minute outing against world champions France in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday, and fan account Football Talent Scout compiled his best stats from that 2-1 defeat:

De Jong provides the added benefit of being able to play in central defence, which is telling from the deep-rooted positions he tends to take up in his distribution.

It's the kind of defense-oriented possession approach that Dembele brings to Pochettino's side and could soon need replacing. Spurs blogger Ben Pearce recently suggested central midfield is Tottenham's biggest need right now:

Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama both fit that defensive mould but are more one-dimensional than De Jong, who could just as easily double as a creative weapon, as much as he revels in the deeper-lying capacity.

Ajax didn't want to sell their star over the summer and aren't liable to be any more eager in January, but it seems that won't stop Spurs from testing the water as they seek to revive their winter interest in De Jong.