The race for Jan Vertognhen’s signature seems to be heating up with the defender’s Tottenham contract coming to an end next month.
Spurs are said to be in negotiations with the centre-back to extend his stay until the end of the season but it is suggested that the long-serving defender will leave North London in the summer (ESPN).
While several clubs from both Spain and Italy are said to be interested in Vertonghen (Calcio Mercato), it was previously claimed that Real Betis had already held extensive talks with the defender’s entourage (Daily Star).
It was initially claimed that Roma were unwilling to meet the Belgian international’s contract demands of £2.7m (€3m) a season as they looking to stick to a strict salary cap of £2.2m (€2.5m) per campaign (TuttoMercatoWeb via The Express).
However, the latest reports indicate that the Italian giants are ready to cave to Vertonghen’s demands.
Corriere dello Sport (as relayed by SempreInter) suggest that Roma are keen on winning the race for Vertonghen and are now ready to offer him a two year deal with an annual salary of €3 million.
Spurs Web Opinion
Given that many clubs around Europe are likely to be cash-strapped due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that free agents are going to be highly sought after. Vertonghen is thus going to have multiple offers to choose from. Despite being 33 years of age, I believe he is more than capable of having two more solid seasons in Italian or Spanish football, provided he joins the right club.
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