Spurs enter transfer race for £45m Ajax hero Donny van de Beek with Pochettino ready to splash cash in summer
Mauricio Pochettino is being given money to spend rebuilding his squad this summer - and Champions League semi-final goalscorer Van de Beek is in his sights
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TOTTENHAM are lining up a summer move for Ajax star Donny van de Beek - the man who could have sent them crashing out of the Champions League.
Van de Beek scored the only goal as Ajax sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg of their European semi-final at the Tottenham Stadium last week.
And the 22-year-old is expected to play a key role on Wednesday as the Dutch club look to complete the job on the return leg of ending Tottenham hopes of Champions League glory.
But that has not stopped Spurs scouts closely monitoring his progress this season as boss Mauricio Pochettino prepares for a summer spending spree.
Pochettino has made it clear to chairman Daniel Levy that he needs financial backing over the close season to improve a squad which has proven to lack the depth needed to compete at home and in Europe.
The Spurs boss admitted last week that tough decision may need to be made in order to take his talented side onto the next level.
GENUINE INTEREST
And one of the areas he is looking to improve is in midfield, where Van de Beek has emerged as a player of genuine interest.
Ajax's brilliant form this season has seen several of their top young stars targeted by clubs across Europe.
Frenkie De Jong is already on his way to Barcelona in the close season, while captain Matthijs De Ligt is another who is highly sought after.
Barca and Manchester City have both shown an interest in the defender who could cost around £60million.
That kind of money is out of the reach of Spurs, but the £45m Van de Beek is valued at is likely to be within the budget Levy makes available to Pochettino.
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Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are both thought to be interested in the attacking midfielder.
But Spurs could offer the chance to play in the Premier League to the Dutch international, as long as a competitive wage packet.
And the club believe the good relationship they have with Ajax, which has seen them sign Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Davison Sanchez from them in recent years, may give them an advantage in securing a deal.