Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag has basically confirmed that left-back Nicolas Tagliafico can leave the club this summer amid transfer rumours linking him with Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Metro claim Chelsea and Arsenal are among Tagliafico’s admirers, with Blues manager Frank Lampard eyeing him up as an alternative to Leicester City star Ben Chilwell in that position.
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The report also translates quotes from Ten Hag to Het Parool as discussing the futures of several of his players, suggesting Ajax could keep hold of other big names like Andre Onana and Donny van de Beek.
On Tagliafico, however, he said that a different option could be taken, which sounds like good news for potential transfer suitors.
“For [Andre] Onana and [Donny] Van de Beek, another year at Ajax could certainly be an option,” Ten Hag said.
“For Tagliafico – because of his age – something different. In preparation I will try Lisandro Martinez in that position.”
Chelsea could do with a new left-back this summer, with the Metro noting that Lampard wants to improve on Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri in that position.
Arsenal might also benefit from bolstering their options in that department, despite having Kieran Tierney, Sead Kolasinac and Bukayo Saka in their squad at the moment.
Tierney, however, has had his injury problems, while Kolasinac’s form has been suspect, and Saka is more of a natural winger or attacking midfielder than a left-back, despite filling in well there at times this season.
“Bruno Fernandes told me that, as a kid, he had a poster of me. He said that when he played Football Manager he always signed me. I was like, ‘You had me on a poster? And, seriously, you sign me for FM?’ I mean, how weird is that?” – Who said this? Click here to read more.