Wednesday, 28th August, 2013
Arsenal may have jumped at the chance to stake out Toby Alderweireld, but manager Arsene Wenger is not prepared to give the game away just yet.
Wenger, under fire for his transfer policy, has long been an admirer of the Dutch model of football – as much as he his of the French school.
Having enjoyed the serrvices of notable names like Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars and, most recently, Robin van Persie, it was little surprise that Alderweireld should join that list.
True, Alderweireld is Belgian, but he has grown up in the Eredivisie, a style Wenger would love to employ more.
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"If I hear anything about good Dutch players, I'm always willing to consider an offer", Wenger told Dutch public outlet NOS.
"They have a good education and play football in the way that we want to play. I love players from the Netherlands.
"I have also shown that in the past, when I've had exceptional Dutch players under my care.
"I cannot talk about names now. We have to keep everything secret and discreet, at least, insofar as that is possible."
Arsenal do face an uphill task in the Alderweireld pursuit as Atletico Madrid recently saw a bid turned down by Ajax, who are expecting upwards of €7m.
Ironically, Wenger may come face to face with Overmars himself, with the Ajax director of football recently saying he "did not consider [Atletico’s] bid as suitable for the Belgian international".
More importantly, though, Arsenal will once again lock horns with Liverpool – going back to the Luis Suarez saga – as the Reds are also interested in Alderweireld.
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