Marc Overmars claims Jan Vertonghen will not be making an emotional return to Ajax this summer after holding talks with the Tottenham Hotspur defender’s agent, speaking to AjaxTV.
An experienced Belgian international might have put pen to paper on a short-term extension which will keep him in north London until the end of the season, but the chances of Vertonghen starting 2020/21 as a Spurs player look slimmer than ever.
One of the longest serving players in Jose Mourinho’s squad is due to become a free agent in a matter of weeks.
And 33-year-old Vertonghen appears to be on his way out of English football, admitting back in May that the chance to try his hand in Spanish or Italian football for the very first time would appeal as he enters the autumn years of his top-level career (Play Sports).
Vertonghen lifted two Eredivisie titles with Ajax in 2011 and 2012 and there has been suggestions that the versatile defender could bring his vast experience to the Johan Cruyff Arena in the summer.
But, according to Overmars, this is a deal that is just not going to happen.
“I did speak to his [Vertonghen’s] agent, but we made other choices. Jan is no longer a left-back either,” says the Ajax director of football, who is confident that he has more than enough options in central defence.
Where Vertonghen ends up when his Tottenham contract expires is anyone’s guess.
Antonio Conte has been tipped to add the 118-cap veteran to an Inter Milan squad chock-full of former Premier League stars – including ex-Spurs star Christian Eriksen.
Tuttomercatoweb reported in May, meanwhile, that Vertonghen’s £50,000-a-week wage demands had priced him out of a potential move to Roma.
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