Tottenham supporters all know how good Jan Vertonghen can be when he’s at the top of his game, and like most of them, we don’t believe his age should be a defining factor when looking at whether or not to offer him a new deal to tie him down to another three of four years.
The Daily Mail report that Mauricio Pochettino and co are looking to get the Belgian to sign on the dotted line, but are reluctant to put more than an extra 12 months on the table, something that will come as a great frustration to the Lilywhites.
It will be especially irritating given that back in February, ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Vertonghen claimed to be in the best condition he’s been in physically in his entire career, video via Stadium Astro, and he almost certainly is still up to the task.
The frustrations will lie in the fact that he’s 32-years-old and is supposedly looked at as being almost over the hill. However, that argument is completely contradicted when you consider that 30-year-old Moussa Sissoko was given a four-year deal by the club despite his age.
It also must be said that the age of a central defender’s peak time in his career does come later. For most footballers, barring goalkeepers and centre-backs, you’d imagine that the peak years come between the ages of 26 and 28-years-old. However, just looking at some of the top defenders in today’s game is very telling.
When looking at the top-performing defender’s in Europe over the last few years, the vast majority are over 30-years-old. The likes of Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Leonardo Bonucci, Georgio Chiellini, Diego Godin, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Vincent Kompany all fall into that category, as per Transfermarkt.
When taking that into account it must make sense to give Vertonghen a deal for more than just 12 months. Even if they can only offer him a two-year extension, it’s better than what is already on the table and it gives the Belgian a chance to show that he really is in peak condition and can continue to lead the defensive line for the club.