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Jan Vertonghen Plays Down Potential Tottenham Exit: 'I've Got Everything I Want'

Tom Sunderland

Jan Vertonghen has said he has everything he wants at Tottenham Hotspur but doesn't know what his future holds beyond the 2019-20 season. 

The Belgium international's contract will expire in June 2020, but Vertonghen spoke to reporters and appeared to put any idea of an exit this summer to bed:

"I've got a year left, I will have to see what happens. I love being here. I feel great with the manager, he’s been supporting me and making me a better player. I’ve got everything I want. It’s the best club to play for at the moment."

Centre-back partner Toby Alderweireld, 30, will also be out of contract at the end of the upcoming season, giving manager Mauricio Pochettino a conundrum in how to handle their situations.

Alderweireld's case is complicated by the fact he now has a release clause of £25 million after Tottenham triggered an extension in his deal in December 2018. However, the clause is only active until July 26, according to FourFourTwo's Seb Stafford-Bloor.  

Journalist Alasdair Gold came to the conclusion Vertonghen has justified getting a new contract with Spurs, though the club may struggle to offer a deal suiting his desires at 32:

The veteran moved to Tottenham from Ajax in 2012 for an undisclosed fee—believed to be around £12 million—and has played a prominent role in establishing their footing as one of England's heavyweights.

Vertonghen has twice been named in the Professional Footballers' Association Premier League Team of the Year (2013, 2018) and was crucial in their run to last season's UEFA Champions League final.

BT Sport recently celebrated him as one of England's most consistent defensive performers since he moved from the Eredivisie:

Midfielder Christian Eriksen also has less than one year left on his contract, meaning Tottenham could lose three key players at the end of the season. 

Spurs became the first club to not complete a single summer signing in 2018, so the players on the brink of an exit from north London might want to see some new arrivals in 2019 to convince them to stick around.

Tottenham would be losing out on a potentially significant transfer fee if they allowed Vertonghen to run down the last year of his contract, but the offer of a new one-year agreement may not satisfy the player.

Vertonghen has expressed his desire to remain at the club where he's now spent most of his professional career, and the ball is seemingly in Spurs' court regarding how long he stays.  

   

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