Ajax has produced more than its fair share of top tier defenders for Tottenham Hotspur over the years.
Indeed, no fewer than three of the current defensive crop at Spurs passed through, at one point or another, the Amsterdam club - Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen were both bought directly from Ajax while Toby Alderweireld was signed from Atletico Madrid having previously broken through for the Dutch side.
Now, there is another Ajax defender reportedly (according to German newspaper TZ via HITC) on Tottenham’s radar, with Sergino Dest a potential solution to Jose Mourinho’s most problematic of problem positions at right-back. Spurs will face stiff competition for the teenager - Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also been linked - but a move to North London might be best for Dest at this stage of his development.
“It [interest from Barcelona] is not yet concrete,” Dest’s agent told Voetbal International in a recent interview, referencing the interest from around Europe in his client.
“They have not officially reported to me or Ajax. However, information has been provided in the past. Sergino is one of the full-backs in Europe that they are following. He is an option should Nelson Semedo leave. But I think Sergino is an option for more clubs. Bayern Munich still want to take Sergino from Ajax, but at the moment both parties are still far apart. We can't do anything about that at the moment.”
Dest is contracted to Ajax until the summer of 2022 meaning the Dutch champions will almost certainly demand a big fee for one of their prize assets.
The conveyor belt of talent out of the Johan Cruyff Arena has been turning at pace of late, with Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt leaving the club for Barcelona and Juventus respectively last summer and Hakim Ziyech set to join Chelsea this summer. Dest is next in line.
Tottenham’s need for a new right-back is clear. Kieran Trippier was allowed to leave the club for Atletico Madrid last summer without a clear replacement being found. Serge Aurier has been Mourinho’s favoured choice in the position since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last November, but the Ivorian has made a number of high-profile blunders.
It’s very easy to see why Spurs would be interested in Dest. The American international, who also had the choice to play for the Netherlands, has notched four assists in the Eredivisie this season, ranking him behind only Donny van de Beek, Ziyech and Dusan Tadic for assists within the Ajax squad over the 2019/20 campaign.
He averages 1.2 dribbles per match (as per WhoScored) and even averages 1.1 shots on goal per game, providing a goal threat from his full-back position. Defensively, there’s also reason to believe the 19-year-old would satisfy Mourinho’s demands, averaging 1.9 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game this season.
As a teenager still learning his trade at the elite level of the game, Dest is still somewhat raw. Mourinho hasn’t always been one for harnessing young talent and so it might be the case that he desires a more experienced head at right-back for next season - Thomas Meunier is one potential target who has been mentioned (as per L’Equipe).
But if Mourinho wants to build a defensive line that will sustain Spurs for a number of years, as his predecessor did, Dest must surely be top of his shopping list. The American has the makings of Ajax’s next superstar off the production line, Europe’s next great full-back and also the solution to Tottenham’s right-back problems.
