Tottenham transfer target Davinson Sanchez tells Ajax he wants Premier League move

Davinson Sanchez has told Ajax that he wants to be allowed to leave the club and join Tottenham before the end of the transfer window, The Independent can reveal.

The Colombian defender, who turned down a move to Barcelona last summer because he feared he wouldn't get the first-team football he wanted to continue progressing, is a top target for Spurs as Mauricio Pochettino works on three deals.

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Sanchez enjoyed a stellar first campaign in European football as Ajax reached the Europa League final, and the club's sporting director Marc Overmars tried to tie him down to a new deal by offering him a contract that would have doubled his salary.

But the 21-year-old central defender has already had his head turned by Tottenham and, on Monday, communicated his desire to leave the club to senior Ajax staff. An offer in the region of £28m is expected in the coming hours, though Ajax are thought to be holding out for closer to £35m.

Spurs are also working on a deal to sign a wide forward, though they deny reports from France this weekend that they bid for Anthony Martial of Manchester United. Lazio wideman Balde Keita is a player that is understood to interest them, while Ross Barkley is another player being considered to strengthen their midfield.

Pochettino reiterated his desire to add depth after beating Newcastle 2-0 at St. James' Park on Sunday.

"Always it's important to refresh the squad to create more competition between us, and then because it's so long - we have ahead 10 months are we are involved in four competitions, and the Champions League demands a lot of energy.

"We need more competition, more quality, more players who can help the team to keep the level that we want in every game."