Jan Vertonghen has revealed he will extend his contract at Tottenham until 2020, with the club looking to trigger a 12-month extension. The Belgian’s existing deal is up next summer but he’s adamant of staying for another 18 months and believes he’s still got many more years to go before he’ll consider retirement.
There wear fears earlier in the season that Spurs could lose their first-choice defensive pairing of Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld due to the lack of talks over new contracts. The Belgians’ existing deals expire in the summer of 2019 but a 12-month option can be triggered which allays any fears of an exodus at the end of the season.
Vertonghen explained his situation to the Evening Standard, saying: “I’ve got a contract until 2020 — there’s an option and Tottenham will take that option. So I’ve got a year and a half left and then we’ll see. The way I feel now, I’ve got at least four to five good years left in the tank.
“There are no talks (with the club), but that’s something to discuss. At the moment, I feel great at Tottenham. It’s a club with unbelievable potential — not just the players but everything around it. Everyone wants to be part of it.”
The 31-year-old has been a terrific servant for Tottenham, making more than 260 appearances in all competitions since joining from Ajax in 2012. Vertonghen remains as important as ever to Mauricio Pochettino, but he’s been plagued with injuries this season which has cut down his minutes in the Premier League.
He’s made nine top-flight appearances, featuring only twice since late-September due to a hamstring injury and suspension. Vertonghen is on the recovery trail, however, having played a full 90 minutes against Leicester on December 8 so he’ll be hoping to put his injury problems behind him for the remainder of the season.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Tottenham should sign highly-rated centre-forward in January – opinion