Dutch international defender Matthijs de Ligt recently completed a big-money move to Bayern Munich.
The 22-year-old was reportedly a target for Tottenham Hotspur before his move to the Bundesliga.
According to Calciomercato, Antonio Conte wanted to sign a top-quality international defender this summer and the Dutchman was ‘the first name’ on his transfer wish list.
Tottenham director Fabio Paratici knew the player well from their time together at Juventus and Spurs ‘really tried’ to bring him to the London club this summer.
The report claims that Tottenham had no intention to pay the reported €70 million asking price for the Dutch international.
However, the German club acted swiftly to secure his services and Tottenham had to settle for Clement Lenglet.
The Frenchman has joined the London club on a loan deal from Barcelona and it will be interesting to see if he can adapt to English football and make an immediate impact for Conte’s side next season.
Tottenham have an exceptional defender in Cristian Romero at their disposal and signing de Ligt would have been the icing on the cake.
The Dutchman is regarded as a world-class talent who has the potential to develop into one of the best defenders in the world.
He could have been a solid long-term acquisition for the Londoners.