Tottenham smashes transfer record to sign Davinson Sanchez from Ajax
Tottenham Hotspur shattered its club-record transfer fee to sign Davinson Sanchez on Friday.
Last season's Premier League runner-up parted with an initial €40 million, plus a potential €2 million in add-ons to grab the 21-year-old defender from Ajax, just one year after the Colombian joined the Dutch outfit for around €5 million from Atletico Nacional.
The transfer is subject to a medical and the receipt of a work permit, and Sanchez agreed a six-year contract with Tottenham.
"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," said Sanchez.
"I am very excited to be signing for such a famous club as Tottenham Hotspur. I am looking forward to working with Mauricio Pochettino and the players and meeting everyone there."
(Courtesy: @Squawka)
Sanchez began the 2016-17 season with Jong Ajax, the club's reserve team, but was soon called into Peter Bosz's senior ranks. His confidence in possession and physicality saw him play a key role in Ajax reaching the Europa League final, losing 2-0 to Manchester United, and second place of the Eredivisie.
He is a raw talent, however, with some of his sanguine strides up the park against United ruined by him cheaply squandering the ball with a heavy or wayward pass. He could possibly develop rapidly in the middle of a back-three, but the current first choice in that position is 28-year-old Toby Alderweireld - arguably the best defender in the Premier League.
Proof of how highly Mauricio Pochettino ranks his potential is in Sanchez's fee: the initial cost is approximately £6.5-million more than the previous high spent by the club for Moussa Sissoko last summer.
The youngster's arrival may go some way to appeasing fans and, following a controversial interview in which he bemoaned Spurs' lack of spending, left-back Danny Rose. Tottenham has been criticised for not conducting incoming business over the summer until the Sanchez purchase, as the north London lot pays for the partial demolition and rebuild of White Hart Lane, and has most of its key players tied up with long-term contracts.