Tottenham may elect to allow Jan Vertonghen to leave via free transfer
Tottenham’s recent struggles in defence may cause Jose Mourinho to let Jan Vertonghen leave Spurs next summer on a free transfer.
It’s very clear that Tottenham need to make serious squad changes if they want to give Jose Mourinho a chance to bring a Premier League title to North London. The inability of Spurs to forge a qualify defence early in the Portuguese manager’s tenure may cost Jan Vertonghen the chance to see out his career at Tottenham.
In fairness to the Belgian veteran, it’s not his fault that Spurs are leaking goals at the moment. Injuries to Danny Rose and Ben Davies have forced him to play left back instead of his preferred role in the middle of the club’s defence. He does play fullback for his country, but he lacks the speed and athleticism to really thrive out wide in the Premier League.
Mourinho understands that Vertonghen’s best position is centre back, which happens to be a crowded spot at Tottenham currently. Toby Alderweireld has recently signed a new deal with Spurs which sends a clear signal that he’s going to be a part of Mourinho’s starting XI both now and in the future. That leaves Vertonghen to battle with Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth to nail down the centre back spot opposite Alderweireld.
Sanchez, in particular, has elevated his play since Mourinho’s taken charge. The young Colombian seemed to be a player who might fall out of the squad after Mauricio Pochettino‘s departure, but to his credit, he’s played some of his best football as an individual in recent weeks. It would be quite difficult for Vertonghen to displace him in the Spurs’ starting XI at the moment.
Vertonghen is almost certainly ahead of Foyth after the Argentine’s struggles against Norwich, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right player for Tottenham to prioritize over the long haul. Foyth is a young player with a lot of potential. Vertonghen is a veteran whose best days as a player are almost certainly behind him. Mourinho might prefer to rely on veterans, but that isn’t a part of Tottenham’s ethos as a club.
Next. Tottenham must focus on their fullbacks in January. dark
Keeping Vertonghen as the club’s fourth centre back is a luxury that Spurs cannot afford given their current roster construction. The money required to re-sign him can be better spent by Tottenham in the transfer market on a position of greater need. It might not be popular for Mourinho to let Vertonghen leave for free, but it may be just the sort of ruthless decision he needs to make to get Tottenham back on track.