When De Telegraaf started claims of Ajax being keen to sign Dusan Tadic, it was around the time Southampton looked doomed to relegation.
The idea was the Saints would need to sell some players, Tadic wouldn’t been on the Championship, and a deal could be found.
Then Southampton stayed up, and the Dutch claims would have been expected to go away.
But they didn’t. Every week or so De Telegraaf would reiterate Ajax want Tadic and are confident a deal can be done. The confidence seemed misplaced, just because of the cost of the transfer.
Tadic is on Premier League wages, and Southampton are hardly going to let him go cheaply. Despite all of that, De Telegraaf now believe a deal is closing in.
Ajax officials travelled to England this week to work on the deal and hope a transfer estimated at €17.1m is completed ‘in the coming days’.
It’s rare to see a player not chase the money in football, but if Tadic completes his move it won’t be because it’s the best financial offer.
Earlier today, TMW also backed up the potential transfer.