Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Jan Vertonghen is set to be offered a new deal to remain at Tottenham Hotspur and extend his stay with the north London outfit.
The Belgium international has been a mainstay for the club since arriving at White Hart Lane in 2012 from Ajax and has continually impressed Spurs fans and pundits alike with his performances.
Vertonghen has been a leader for the Tottenham side and has continued his fine displays this season when partnering Davinson Sanchez in his debut year.
Pochettino stated his delight with the Spurs defender and believed he had developed himself into one of the best in the Premier League.
“He deserves to be praised,” he told football.london.
“In nearly four seasons a lot of things have happened in between. I am so proud that he has achieved this level today. Not only on the pitch but off the pitch. In my opinion, he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and in Europe.”
Vertonghen’s contract is set to expire next summer and Tottenham are keen to keep the 30-year-old at the club for as long as possible.
Pochettino confirmed that he and Daniel Levy are ready to offer him a new deal and know how important he is to the Spurs team.
“The club believes that he needs to be rewarded,” he added.
“He is one of the important players in the side.”
The influential defender missed Tottenham’s 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday with an ankle he sustained in a training session on Saturday afternoon and his manager revealed he will need to be assessed.
The injury blow has come at a crucial time for Spurs, with the club set to play Rochdale, Huddersfield Town and Juventus all in the next ten days.
Vertonghen certainly deserves Pochettino’s praise, with the Belgian a firm fans’ favourite.
With other Tottenham men offered new deals over the last two years, it is time for Spurs to upgrade the veteran centre-half’s terms as soon as possible.