According to Telegraph, Manchester City are keeping tabs on Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen. The Premier League giants have identified the experienced defender as a potential candidate as Pep Guardiola looks to shore up his defensive options this summer. Vertonghen’s current contract at Tottenham Hotspur expires at the end of the campaign, meaning he will be available as a free agent.
Jan Vertonghen’s struggles under Jose Mourinho
Even before the start of the 2019/20 campaign, it was always going to be a difficult campaign for Vertonghen given his noticeable decline over the past couple of years. It was combined with the emergence of Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth.
Neither of these two players is yet to succeed under new manager Jose Mourinho so far. But, Vertonghen has declined even further, failing to get first-team chances despite the injuries of Foyth as well as the underwhelming performances of both Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld. Even the young Japhet Tanganga has been preferred over Vertonghen, at times this season.
In fact, the Belgian has featured in just over 1,600 minutes of league football. Mourinho, in particular, has often used him in an unnatural left-back position. Since the restart, the 33-year-old has made only one start, and that too came in the embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United, where he once again operated as a left-back.
Should Tottenham retain Vertonghen next season?
Tottenham Hotspur always have the option to retain the services of Vertonghen by offering him a new contract extension. However, his prolonged stay at the club could cause problems for Mourinho for multiple reasons.
Especially from a tactical perspective, Vertonghen’s lack of speed makes him a massive liability in the more direct, counter-attacking approach embraced by Tottenham, under the leadership of Mourinho. That is partly why the Lilywhites have always struggled when the Belgian has featured in at left-back, where speed and athleticism become key factors.
It can be argued that Vertonghen does bring experience to this team. But at the same time, Tottenham also have the likes of Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane and Alderweireld, who are more than capable of providing leadership qualities to the table.
Not to mention, Vertonghen’s stay at the club could act as a major stumbling block for young defenders like Tanganga, who are expected to earn a more prominent role in the first-team next season. And with that in mind, it would perhaps be wiser for Tottenham to move on as they look to usher in a new era under Mourinho.
