Revealed: Tottenham slash £12m asking price for first-team star as late exit beckons

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Published on:

29 Jan 2020, 2:43 am

Tottenham have slashed the asking price for defender Jan Vertonghen after holding talks with him over his future, Football Insider understands.

The Belgium international, who turns 33 in April, is out of contract in the summer and has failed to agree the terms of an extension.

A Tottenham source has told Football Insider that the club had told interested clubs Ajax, Inter Milan and Napoli earlier in the window they wanted £12million for Vertonghen.

But they are now ready to let him go for less than half that sum as the frenzy of late-window activity at Hotspur Way is set to intensify.

Tottenham announced the sale of Christian Eriksen to Inter yesterday while simultaneously revealing they had taken the option to convert Giovani Lo Celso's loan into a permanent deal.

In addition, two more transfers are set to be announced today as Spurs put the finishing touches to the landmark capture of winger Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven and the loan sale of right-back Kyle Walker-Peters to Southampton.

Like Eriksen, Vertonghen has been a mainstay of the best Tottenham team of the Premier League era and is midway through his eighth season at the club.

The 118-times Belgium international remains a key member of the starting XI and has made 16 league starts among 21 appearances in all competitions this season.

His long-time defensive sidekick Toby Alderweireld signed a new long-term contract last month.

But Vertonghen is two years older and is suffering from an increasing number of injuries, which is why Spurs are ready to let him go.

In other Tottenham news, Kevin Phillips has hailed a "huge" Spurs nearly-done-deal as agreement close to sign defender.

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