You would have to be a fool to brand the summer so far for Spurs anything but a success. Despite no new faces arriving at Hotspur Way since Lucas Moura in January, Daniel Levy has been hard at work negotiating new contracts for arguably two of Tottenham’s most influential men.
Mauricio Pochettino committed to six more years in North London before the Real Madrid interest came and went a week later at the end of May. Soon after, Harry Kane was next to put pen to paper on a new deal, ending any speculation that the former Golden Boot winner would move away this summer, a contract that saw the former wage structure blown to pieces, the striker pocketing £200,000-per-week. Think that’s easy money? See how you could make your own here with betting money management strategies for sports betting.
Spurs’ recent successive Premier League top four finishes have been admired by many, but Mauricio Pochettino is hungry for more success as he continues his search for a major trophy that has alluded him so far. In order for this to happen, he will need to keep hold of the core of the current Spurs team as they prepare to move into the new White Hart Lane in September. Here are three players Tottenham must commit to new deals before the season gets underway in August.
1) Jan Vertonghen
The consistency of Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen has been tremendous over the past season. His partnership with Davinson Sanchez at the heart of the back line has kept fan favourite Toby Alderweireld out of a team that shipped just 36 goals in the Premier League all season, less than one per game.
Vertonghen has come on leaps and bounds over the past few years, and to illustrate this point, think back to a matchup between Liverpool and Spurs, where the centre-back was pictured leaning up against the walls of the Anfield tunnel without a care in the world. Long gone are these times.
The 31-year-old is now a true leader, helping with the development of Colombian defensive partner Davinson Sanchez along the way. Not only does Vertonghen stay calm under pressure at all times, the unpredictability of his strides up the pitch with the ball have left many defences and midfields fooled.
With just one year left on his current deal, it is of paramount importance that Spurs ensure the Belgian signs a contract extension or risk losing him on a free next summer. You get the feeling that Vertonghen will be a key figure for Spurs as they move into the new White Hart Lane.
