Tottenham want to beat a host of clubs to the £17m 'modern-day Gerard Pique'

2 hours ago 29

Tottenham Hotspur are one of a whole host of clubs across Europe who are looking to secure the service of an extremely talented young Dutch centre-back.

Spurs already have one of the best teenage centre-backs in world football at the moment in Luka Vuskovic.

The numbers suggest that Vuskovic has been one of the best players across Europe’s top five leagues this season, which is no easy feat for a youngster getting his first taste of football at the highest level.

It has now emerged that Spurs also want to secure the services of another generational young defender, who is making waves in Dutch football.

Tottenham battle a whole host of clubs for Ruud Nijstad

According to SportsBoom, Tottenham are among the admirers of Twente’s Ruud Nijstad, who is impressing in the Eredivisie this season after breaking into the club’s first team.

The report reveals that the 18-year-old could be one of the most highly sought-after teenagers of the summer window, with Spurs facing competition from Premier League rivals as well as some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Nijstad is also on the radars of Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, the data models used by Aston Villa and Brentford have flagged Nijstad’s elite progressive long-pass metrics.

Finally, Barcelona have also had their eye on the youngster for a while, with some at the club feeling that the Twente starlet is reminiscent of a ‘modern-day Gerard Pique’.

Twente’s stance on Nijstad revealed

SportsBoom say that the Dutch club are preparing for the most profitable sale in the club’s history this summer as the interest grows in the centre-back.

Twente are expected to demand a fee in the region of €15m–€20m (£13.1m-£17.4m) from Nijstad’s suitors.

The outlet adds that the Eredivisie side are unlikely to sanction a sale unless the centre-back is loaned back to them for a season. It is revealed that both Leipzig and Brentford are discussing a ‘buy and loan’ formula for the young defender.