Premier League rivals to compete for Ajax defensive ace.
North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to go head-to-head this summer for the signature of young Dutch international centre-back Joel Veltman, according to the Daily Mirror.
The 22-year-old is currently in Brazil as part of Louis Van Gaal’s World Cup set up, though he has mostly been used as a substitute, and is now set to spark a bidding war between the two Premier League sides after the tournament.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is said to be keen on the young defender, but he is a name that has already been on the club’s watch list from back when Tim Sherwood was in charge at White Heart Lane.
Pochettino is keen to recruit another central defender with Michael Dawson a target for Hull and doubts over Younes Kaboul’s fitness.
However, Arsenal have since declared their interest in the Ajax starlet as they prepare to lose Belgian stopper Thomas Vermaelen to Manchester United and are now on the lookout for a suitable replacement for him.
Veltman is being tipped for a bright future in the game after finally breaking through into the first team last season, and though they are accustomed to losing their top stars over the years they were hoping to hang on to him for a little while longer.
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