Klaas Jan Huntelaar: Surely Better for Spurs than Arshavin as Manchester United & Real Madrid Begin to Show Interest

Reports suggest that Real Madrid and Manchester United may be about to launch a £20m bid for one of the most highly-rated strikers in Europe, the Dutchman Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

It would appear that following the collapse of the proposed signing of Cristiano Ronaldo that Real are trying to bolster their ageing forward line. They’ve already signed one Dutchman this summer in the shape of Rafael van der Vaart and Huntelaar would join a number of his compatriots at the club such as Wesley Sneijder, Royston Drenthe and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. United are thought to be looking at possible striking candidates as Tottenham are refusing to budge on their £30m valuation of Dimitar Berbatov. However, as Juande Ramos is linked to every forward in Europe from the likes of Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko, Forlan, Ashton, Eto’o and Villa. Surely Huntelaar would be the perfect man to bring to the Lane.

If the Ajax striker does move it will finally end the speculation that has linked Huntelaar ro just about every top club in the Premier League including Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. It’s a surprise that the 25-year-old hasn’t moved to England as the majority of clubs are in the market for forwards and few come with better reputations than young Klaas.

Even his current club and former international coach Marco Van Basten has confirmed the surprising news that despite being one of the most consistent strikers in Europe no club has made an official move for Klaas Jan Huntelaar this summer. He was asked recently if any of the biggest clubs in Europe has made an offer, he replied, “No, and I hope that we don’t receive them.” Unfortunately for Marco, one if not two of the biggest clubs in the world look set to.

It has been widely suggested that Ajax were finally set to sell their prized asset Huntelaar after completing the Dutch transfer record signing of one of the most exciting rising stars of European football, the 19-year-old Serbian Miralem Sulejmani. This capture seems to have signalled the end of Huntelaar’s career at the Amsterdam Arena with Manchester United and a host of Premier League clubs expected to lead the chase. However, despite intense speculation, nothing has materialised until now.

Huntelaar’s scoring record is second to none as he possesses the ability to score all types of goals ranging from towering headers to long-range free-kicks. With the likes of Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Everton etc currently scouring the planet for new strikers one of the best remained playing week in, week out in the backwater of the Dutch League. For some unknown reason the great Dutch striker has been overlooked.

Arsenal’s potential interest ended when Emmanuel Adebayor signed a new contract and with Didier Drogba about to do the same, it was unlikely he would move to Stamford Bridge. However, the Red Devils are on the look out for a top forward and with Dimitar Berbatov older and more expensive then Huntelaar would have been a cheaper, younger alternative.

A quick glance at his goals per game ratio surely singles out the Ajax striker as worth a gamble. After all, last season alone he scored 33 League goals in 34 matches and only one of those goals was from the penalty spot. Once again this figure topped the Dutch scoring charts, a staggering 12 goals more than his nearest rival.

Since joining Ajax midway through the 2005/06 season the 25-year-old Drempt-born hitman has scored a staggering 70 goals in 82 League games. This Roy of the Rovers style scoring shouldn’t have been unexpected given the players striking tally at Heerenveen prior to moving to Amsterdam. In just a season and a half Huntelaar scored 34 goals in just 46 League matches which prompted Ajax to quickly pounce. His career League record now reads 130 goals in 173 League appearances, now if that type of form is not worth a punt then I don’t know what is!

The young Dutch sensation has banished fears that he couldn’t perform on the international stage too after continuing his scoring form for the Oranje netting 8 goals in just 13 games despite competing with the likes of Van Nistelrooy and Robin Van Persie for a starting berth. Huntelaar is also something of a lucky charm for Holland as they’ve won all 13 matches he’s featured in.

When you’ve topped the Dutch scoring charts in 2 of the last 3 seasons, won numerous player of the year awards, finished top scorer in the world in 2005/06 as well as rewriting the record books as all-time highest U21 scorer in Dutch history, you’d expect to have the best clubs in the world to be chasing you and with Real Madrid and Manchester United about to pounce, have Spurs made a huge mistake not attempting to sign him rather than waste their efforts on Andrei Arshavin?

So would you like the Dutch star at your club? Are Real Madrid getting a bargain if he moves for £20m when Robbie Keane cost £19m? Is Huntelaar the type of player Spurs need rather than Arshavin? Would United fans prefer Klaas to Berbatov? Let’s hear your views.

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Tags: Arsenal, Everton, Holland, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League, Real Madrid, Tottenham

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