AS Roma have been left ‘frightened’ by Jan Vertonghen’s wage demands following discussions with the Tottenham Hotspur player’s agent according to a report in TuttoMercatoWeb (as relayed by The Express).
Vertonghen has been a mainstay in the heart of the Spurs defence for a number of seasons but has found himself becoming a bit-part player under both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho this season.
Reports have suggested that the Belgian international will leave North London this summer after eight seasons at the club (ESPN).
There is said to be considerable interest in the 33-year-old from both Spain and Italy with Inter Milan (Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness), Roma and Napoli (Gazzetta dello Sport via TEAMtalk), Real Betis and Valencia ((Calcio Mercato) all said to be interested in his services.
TuttoMercatoWeb now claim that Roma made informal contact with Vertonghen’s representatives to know what his wage demands were.
It is said that the Tottenham star was seeking over £2.7m (€3m) a season, which is over £50,000 a week.
However, the Serie A side are looking to stick to a strict salary cap of £2.2m (€2.5m) a season, and are have been put off by Vertonghen’s demands.
Spurs Web Opinion
In fairness to Vertonghen, £50,000 a week certainly is not a massive demand on his part particularly considering how valued free agents are this summer. If the report is true, then it also shows that the Belgian just wants to play regular football rather than looking for a massive pay day.
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