Why Tottenham must hand fresh deals to Vertonghen and Eriksen soon
Toby Alderweireld has put pen to paper on a new deal to stay at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have committed to a three-year contract extension to keep the Belgian until 2023.
Last season, the 30-year-old played 50 games in all competitions for former boss Mauricio Pochettino and has been a mainstay in the Tottenham backline ever since his arrival in 2015, following a successful loan spell with Southampton.
Here are 2 other players who deserve a contract extension.
Jan Vertonghen
Alderweireld’s club and country partner Jan Vertonghen has been a crucial player for Tottenham over the years. The centre-back has gone on to become one of Premier League’s best defenders. Vertonghen’s current deal expires next summer and he will be free to talk to foreign clubs in January unless a new contract is signed.
Sky Sports claim that Roma and Bayer Leverkusen are both interested in the centre-back.
Vertonghen is one of Spurs’ longest-serving and most experienced players, having made close to 300 appearances since joining from Ajax in 2012. The 31-year-old is a versatile defender, who gives Spurs a plethora of options at the back.
He has been a vital cog in Jose Mourinho’s set-up and has been deployed at left-back. He even scored the winner in stoppage time against Wolves.
Vertonghen signing an extension will be off utmost importance to Spurs’ success in the coming years.
Christian Eriksen
Eriksen’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2020 and, as a result, the 27-year-old has attracted interest from a number of European giants.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for the Danish attacking midfielder.
The 27-year-old’s contract with Tottenham will take him till the end of the 2019/20 season, with Manchester United potentially eyeing up a swoop for the Dane in the summer. However, the new manager made a bold but typical move during Spurs’ recent Champions League game.
Within 29 minutes of the first half, Mourinho took out Eric Dier and replaced him with Eriksen when the Lilywhites were 2-0 down. Eriksen played a pivotal role throughout the rest of the match and looked closer to his former self.
What’s more is that Mourinho has, thus far, implemented a more attacking style of play that suits Eriksen. And perhaps he would be better off staying at a familiar club with a new manager.
