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Martin Jol: Tottenham-bound Davinson Sanchez is the real deal but must be given Premier League chance
MARCO GIACOMELLI
10 minutes ago
Tottenham to complete £40m Davinson Sanchez signing this weekend
Martin Jol knows what it takes to move from Ajax to the Premier League — and the former Tottenham manager believes Davinson Sanchez must be given the chance to prove himself at Spurs.
Sanchez, who is expected to join from the Dutch club this weekend, will be Tottenham’s fourth Ajax alumni and Jol coached the other three during an 18-month spell at the Dutch club from 2009. He was instrumental in their development, making Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld his centre-back pairing and giving the teenage Christian Eriksen his first-team debut.
“You didn’t have to be a professor to see they were very good players,” said Jol, who managed Tottenham from 2004-07. “I knew they would go all the way.”
For English clubs, buying from the Eredivisie is always a risk — for every Ruud van Nistelrooy, there is a Mateja Kezman — but the success of Vertonghen, Eriksen and Alderweireld has persuaded Spurs to go for Sanchez, another player who has come of age in Amsterdam.
Tottenham to complete £40m Davinson Sanchez signing this weekend
Jol, who struggled after leaving his homeland for Bayern Munich as a player, was impressed at how quickly Sanchez settled at Ajax last year, but he warned that the Premier League will be a bigger challenge for Spurs’ newest arrival.
“If you play for Ajax, you can play for any club in the world — that is the reality,” said Jol, who remains close to both his former clubs. “He was arguably their best player. He is cynical, he is unbelievably quick. He settled quickly as a young lad who came into the country [from Colombian club Atletico Nacional]. He was there one year and he was a personality.
“For a young player, he was mentally strong. That’s not a normal thing because he was very young. But to be mentally good for the Premier League, you have to learn your trade.”
Vertonghen left Ajax for Spurs in 2012, aged 25, while Alderweireld was 24 when he joined European giants Atletico Madrid, where he was a bit-part player. Timing is everything for a centre-back and Jol believes that Sanchez, who turned 21 in June, may find opportunities limited early on at Spurs unless Mauricio Pochettino opts for an all ex-Ajax back-three.
“Toby [Alderweireld] had to learn to be tough,” Jol said. “He was annoyed with me occasionally because I said, ‘You’re good on the ball, you’re an unbelievable passer, but you need to be more cynical’. As a defender, you have to be ruthless.
Work continues on Tottenham's new stadium
“He didn’t play for Atletico but he knew he had to be tougher. In the Premier League or La Liga, you have to be cynical, you have to be ruthless. And he learned that. He’s unbelievable now, I think he’s the best centre-back in England.
“Spurs could have taken Toby from Ajax but he was probably not ready then,” Jol continued. “It is good to let them play first or buy them and let them play on loan. When Jan went from Ajax, he was a little bit more experienced, a little bit older and he was ready when he went to Spurs. And Eriksen [who was also 21 when he joined Tottenham] is probably, of all these players, the biggest talent.
“Can Sanchez play for Spurs? Only if Spurs play three at the back, because Pochettino has Jan and Toby. Sanchez is the other one. The ideal situation would be to take Sanchez on loan for £8-10m with an option [to buy], but that’s impossible. Ajax gave him a contract until 2022, so they can ask whatever they want.
“The lad is playing well. Everyone in Europe is after him. I think even Barcelona had him on their list. Ajax don’t want to let him go but they have to now because Spurs are paying unbelievable money. When players go to a big club when they’re that young, the possibility is that they won’t play. Look at [Spurs striker] Vincent Janssen, he was £17m and he will not play because of Harry Kane.
“I even think Janssen could go all the way. Put him on loan and then get him back again. Now, Jan is playing, Toby is playing, Eriksen is playing. Sanchez has to play.”
MARCO GIACOMELLI
10 minutes ago
Tottenham to complete £40m Davinson Sanchez signing this weekend
Martin Jol knows what it takes to move from Ajax to the Premier League — and the former Tottenham manager believes Davinson Sanchez must be given the chance to prove himself at Spurs.
Sanchez, who is expected to join from the Dutch club this weekend, will be Tottenham’s fourth Ajax alumni and Jol coached the other three during an 18-month spell at the Dutch club from 2009. He was instrumental in their development, making Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld his centre-back pairing and giving the teenage Christian Eriksen his first-team debut.
“You didn’t have to be a professor to see they were very good players,” said Jol, who managed Tottenham from 2004-07. “I knew they would go all the way.”
For English clubs, buying from the Eredivisie is always a risk — for every Ruud van Nistelrooy, there is a Mateja Kezman — but the success of Vertonghen, Eriksen and Alderweireld has persuaded Spurs to go for Sanchez, another player who has come of age in Amsterdam.
Tottenham to complete £40m Davinson Sanchez signing this weekend
Jol, who struggled after leaving his homeland for Bayern Munich as a player, was impressed at how quickly Sanchez settled at Ajax last year, but he warned that the Premier League will be a bigger challenge for Spurs’ newest arrival.
“If you play for Ajax, you can play for any club in the world — that is the reality,” said Jol, who remains close to both his former clubs. “He was arguably their best player. He is cynical, he is unbelievably quick. He settled quickly as a young lad who came into the country [from Colombian club Atletico Nacional]. He was there one year and he was a personality.
“For a young player, he was mentally strong. That’s not a normal thing because he was very young. But to be mentally good for the Premier League, you have to learn your trade.”
Vertonghen left Ajax for Spurs in 2012, aged 25, while Alderweireld was 24 when he joined European giants Atletico Madrid, where he was a bit-part player. Timing is everything for a centre-back and Jol believes that Sanchez, who turned 21 in June, may find opportunities limited early on at Spurs unless Mauricio Pochettino opts for an all ex-Ajax back-three.
“Toby [Alderweireld] had to learn to be tough,” Jol said. “He was annoyed with me occasionally because I said, ‘You’re good on the ball, you’re an unbelievable passer, but you need to be more cynical’. As a defender, you have to be ruthless.
Work continues on Tottenham's new stadium
“He didn’t play for Atletico but he knew he had to be tougher. In the Premier League or La Liga, you have to be cynical, you have to be ruthless. And he learned that. He’s unbelievable now, I think he’s the best centre-back in England.
“Spurs could have taken Toby from Ajax but he was probably not ready then,” Jol continued. “It is good to let them play first or buy them and let them play on loan. When Jan went from Ajax, he was a little bit more experienced, a little bit older and he was ready when he went to Spurs. And Eriksen [who was also 21 when he joined Tottenham] is probably, of all these players, the biggest talent.
“Can Sanchez play for Spurs? Only if Spurs play three at the back, because Pochettino has Jan and Toby. Sanchez is the other one. The ideal situation would be to take Sanchez on loan for £8-10m with an option [to buy], but that’s impossible. Ajax gave him a contract until 2022, so they can ask whatever they want.
“The lad is playing well. Everyone in Europe is after him. I think even Barcelona had him on their list. Ajax don’t want to let him go but they have to now because Spurs are paying unbelievable money. When players go to a big club when they’re that young, the possibility is that they won’t play. Look at [Spurs striker] Vincent Janssen, he was £17m and he will not play because of Harry Kane.
“I even think Janssen could go all the way. Put him on loan and then get him back again. Now, Jan is playing, Toby is playing, Eriksen is playing. Sanchez has to play.”
