Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen has opened the door to a summer switch to the Premier League.
The Belgian centre back, reportedly on the radars of both Arsenal and Manchester United, admits he is ready for the next step in his career.
And he has paved the way for a move across the North Sea after revealing his love of the English game.
"I have something with England - especially with the nostalgic atmosphere around the football," he told Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad.
"If I could make the step then I would prefer to play in a footballing team.
"But I won't go to a club where I am given the task to play the long ball."
He added: "My goal for this season was to play a stable season with 25 to 30 games on a constant basis.
"That's how I saw my development and broadly it has been like that.
"Now this is the first year I would consider a possible transfer."
Vertonghen, 24, pledged his future to the Amsterdam giants for another season last summer but now feels it is time he tested himself in a more competitive league.
He said: "It's utopian to think players can be kept in Holland until they are 27.
"It is all fantastic stories from the guys who play in a foreign league.
"I hear them from Luis [Suarez] but also from six or seven players from the Belgian national team."
