Tottenham battling with Barcelona and Real Madrid for Ajax wonderkid

The latest centre-back to come from the Ajax conveyor belt

Tottenham and Barcelona will face competition from Real Madrid for the signature of Ajax wonderkid Frenkie De Jong, according to OK Diario, who report that the European champions have joined the race for the Dutchman. The midfielder, who can also play in defence, made his senior international debut in the current international break, and didn't look out of place against the world champions during the Netherlands' 2-1 loss to France on Sunday night. De Jong has been touted as one of the most promising young players in the world due to his exceptional ability on the ball and line-breaking dribbles. It's therefore no surprise that the world's two biggest clubs, and Tottenham Hotspur, have expressed interest in signing him. Spurs had a £45m bid rejected by Ajax, who insist he is not for sale. However, every player has their price and it will only be a matter of time before he is prised away from the Eredivisie. De Jong is under contract at Ajax until 2022, so any bid would have to be astronomical to be accepted. Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum spoke in glowing terms about De Jong after they both completed 90 minutes against France in midfield, but was keen to warn the player against leaving Ajax too early. "Frenkie is a great player, he did a good job and makes it easier for us by the way he plays football," Wijnaldum said.

"A lot has been written about him lately, so I've been watching how he plays at Ajax. He is doing very well now, but we have often had Dutch players who first played very well then later became less."