Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 7y

Davinson Sanchez: Five things to know about Tottenham's new centre-back

Spurs have finally made a summer signing after announcing a deal for Ajax's Colombian centre-back Davinson Sanchez on Friday. Here's a little more on the 21-year-old.

1. A winner

Sanchez made his debut for Atletico Nacional as a 17-year-old and played every minute of Atletico's against-the-odds triumph in the 2016 Copa Libertadores, including the final against Independiente del Valle. In June last year he joined Ajax on a five-year contract.

2. Spurs' record signing

Sanchez, who has signed a six-year deal until 2023, is Spurs' record signing. Ajax say that the north London club have paid them €40 million (£36.5m) up front -- eclipsing the £30m Tottenham spent on Moussa Sissoko and Erik Lamela -- plus €2m in adds on, depending on Sanchez's appearances and achievements. In all, the deal could be worth £38.5m to the Dutch club.

3. In good company

Sanchez is the fourth player in the Tottenham squad to have played for Ajax -- Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld are the others -- and the seventh to have played in Dutch football, along with Michel Vorm, Mousa Dembele and Vincent Janssen.

Sanchez won Ajax's Rinus Michels Player of the Year Award last year, which was previously won by Vertonghen in 2012 and former Spurs player Rafael van der Vaart in 2002. But while Spurs' other Ajax alumni all made more than 100 league appearances for the club, Sanchez spent just one season in Amsterdam, making 45 appearances in all competitions, the last of which was in the Europa League final defeat to Manchester United.

4. First Colombian to play for Spurs

Sanchez will become the first from his country to play for Tottenham and the 14th in the Premier League overall. At present, he is one of just two Colombians in the English top flight, though he will not have to look far for the other: David Ospina is at Tottenham's cross-city rivals Arsenal.

Having represented his country at Under-17, U-20 and U-23 levels, Sanchez was part of the Colombian Olympic team at last summer's Rio Games and made his senior debut in November 2016. He has played twice for the national side.

5. Rejected Barcelona last summer

After helping Atletico win the 2016 Libertadores, Sanchez rejected a move to Barcelona. The Spanish giants agreed a deal worth €3-4 million with Atletico but planned to use the teenager in their "B" team.

"The player says he has no certainty that he can reach the first team through Barcelona B, and therefore he would rather wait for something else. So, he himself said no to Barcelona," agent Nestor Villarreal said.

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