Vertonghen - Mountain out of a Molehill

Spurs fans are making a mountain out of a molehill over Jan Vertonghen

OK, I have been asked several times about Jan Vertonghen and my answer has to be it's been a weekend and not the easiest of time to find anything out so for now, it'll have to be my reading of the situation.

Jan Vertonghen has a year left on his contract. He is no spring chicken, the Belgian central defender is a 32-year-old (33 next April).

I reported during the summer that he wants to return to Ajax at the end of the season to finish his career so despite us offering a new contract, I can't see him signing anything and I think he'll be leaving.

Bearing that in mind, I think fans are making a mountain out of a molehill and looking for someone to blame when Pochettino is simply making a point to all those will 1 year left on their contracts.

Again, I reported during the summer that Eriksen and Alderweireld were both told by Pochettino in their individual meetings with Daniel Levy present that they would not be an automatic first choice if they did not sign a new deal.

That would have happened with all the players with a year left that we were going to offer contracts to and it also gives notice to those with 2 years remaining that they had better sign a new contract or it could happen to them next season.

Vertonghen had a wage increase in the 2017/18 season to £100,000-a-week and he has remained on that salary. No new contract signed means no wage increase.

Toby Alderweireld is in the last year of his contract having thus far refused to sign any new contract and as a result, his wages have remained at £80,000-a-week. He is a 30-year-old (31 next March) so he has a couple more years before he too could head back to Ajax to finish his career.

That gives Mauricio Pochettino a dilemma. He needs to prepare for life without them but only has 23-year-old (24 next June) Davinson Sanchez at the moment and a very young developing 20-year-old (21 next March) Japhet Tanganga.

There is also the injured 21-year-old (22 next January) Juan Foyth who may or may not be needed at right-back.

Toby Alderweireld was handed the captaincy in our first pre-season friendly against Juventus and there are many ways to interpret that, a gesture perhaps, an indication that Alderweireld would be signing a new contract when it is offered.

That looks the likely outcome and if that is the case then Alderweireld and Sanchez could be the number one pairing this season with Jan as the backup.

A video from a week ago. Jan Vertonghem saying he is happy at Spurs and doesn't know what will be happening this season.

He says (incase it gets taken down):

"I just want to focus on this year. I've got one year left so a lot of questions will be asked right now.

"I've said before I'm very happy at the club. The supporters have been great for me, the manager has improved me a lot and has a lot of confidence in me and I feel very, very good physically.

"So yeah, I'm not sure what is going to happen this year.

"I can only say I'm happy where I'm at and I feel the support from the manager, teammates and supporters."

If Pochettino knows that Alderweireld is going to sign a new contract then it may simply be planning for life without Vertonghen rather than Alderweireld.