Jan Vertonghen Tipped to Leave Spurs in January as Napoli & Ajax Look to Land Contract Rebel

​Napoli and Ajax are hoping to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen during the January transfer window, with the Belgian in the final six months of his deal with Spurs.

He can now begin negotiating a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs, but it's believed the Lilywhites may look to cash in this month to avoid losing him for free in the summer. Fellow centre-back Toby Alderweireld had been in a similar position in north London, before agreeing a contract extension in December.

Jose Mourinho

Though they were able to convince Alderweireld to stay at the club, it's looking increasingly likely that ​Spurs will lose his defensive partner, with the ​Telegraph claiming ​Napoli will reopen their interest in Vertonghen.

I Partenopei were unsuccessful in their attempts to buy the 32-year-old over the off-season, but new manager Gennaro Gattuso is eager to strengthen his backline.

The boss views Vertonghen as the ideal candidate to join the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas in the heart of the Napoli defence. However, the ​Serie A side will have to see off the challenge of Ajax to secure his services.

Erik ten Haag's team are searching for a new centre-back after Daley Blind was ​diagnosed with a heart condition, ruling him out for an indefinite period of time.

Erik Ten Hag

Vertonghen graduated from de Godenzonen's academy before completing a move to Spurs in 2012, the ​Premier League club paying £12m for his transfer.


It wouldn't be too surprising to see the veteran bring the curtain down on his Tottenham career this month, with his sale benefiting both player and club.


The Lilywhites are set to lose Christian Eriksen for free in the summer after the Dane's refusal to put pen to paper on a new deal, and they will want to avoid a similarly embarrassing scenario with regards to Vertonghen.


On top of that, it's understood the former Ajax man is unhappy with his role under Jose Mourinho, who has been using him as a left-back since taking over in north London.

FBL-ENG-PR-TOTTENHAM-CHELSEA

Napoli may appear to have the edge over the Dutch champions as they can offer him ​Champions League football, though Vertonghen would surely enjoy a sentimental return to the club where it all started.


Moreover, the Italians will not feature in Europe's elite competition next season after falling 11 points behind fourth-placed Roma in Serie A, while table-topping Ajax remain on course to qualify for the 2020/21 edition, which makes up for their early exit this term.


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Source : 90min