Tottenham signs Eredivisie player of the year Vertonghen

• zocoss

  9 Jul 12, 10:24

  Tottenham on the verge of completing transfer of Jan Vertonghen

  • Spurs have agreed a fee with the defender's club Ajax
  • Vertonghen was Eredivisie player of the year last season

  

  Jan Vertonghen is set to complete his transfer from Ajax to Tottenham after the two clubs agreed a fee for the defender. Photograph: Olaf Kraak/EPA

  .

  .

  .

  Tottenham Hotspur are set to finally complete the signing of the Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen after the London club announced they had agreed terms on Sunday.

  Spurs have been tracking the Belgium defender since last season, when he helped Ajax claim a second consecutive Eredivisie title. Vertonghen, 25, is due to undergo a medical before completing a deal valued at around €12m (£9.5m) that will make him the second arrival since André Villas-Boas took over as manager.

  "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Ajax for the transfer of Jan Vertonghen, subject to a medical," a statement on the club's website read. "The 2011-12 campaign was the Belgium international's most successful season to date – being named Ajax captain at the start and going on to lead the Dutch side to their second straight league title.

  "The centre back's impressive performances did not go unnoticed as he was named Eredivisie player of the year as well as Ajax's player of the year in a season that saw him score 10 times in 37 appearances. In total, Jan made 220 appearances and scored 28 goals for Ajax since making his debut for them in 2006."

  Vertonghen will bolster a Spurs central defence that has been weakened over the summer following the departures of the long-serving former captain Ledley King and Ryan Nelsen.

  "I'm 25 years old and I feel ready to play in the Premier League," Vertonghen said. "I've heard a lot of good stories from my Belgium team-mates, so I think I'm ready for the club."

  The defender is also hoping Spurs can keep hold of their key players, such as Luka Modric. "They have a lot of good players and I hope the most important players will stay," he told Sky Sports News.

  Gylfi Sigurdsson moved to Tottenham from Hoffenheim for £8m last week.

• zocoss

  10 Jul 12, 10:45

  Emmanuel Adebayor close to signing permanent deal at Tottenham Hotspur

  • Move opens way for Manchester City to sign Robin van Persie
  • Tottenham ready to pay large signing-on fee but lower salary

   

  

  Emmanuel Adebayor scored 17 Premier League goals for Tottenham last season while on loan from Manchester City.

  .

  .

  .

  Emmanuel Adebayor is on the brink of completing a permanent transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, as Manchester City remove one obstacle to their pursuit of Arsenal's Robin van Persie. Tottenham believe that they can secure the signature of Adebayor for £5m, although they may have to pay a slightly higher fee, and they are close to a compromise over his salary demands.

  Adebayor, who spent last season on loan at White Hart Lane, has one year remaining on his £170,000-a-week City contract. During his loan, City contributed £100,000 of his weekly wage. But Tottenham are ready to give the striker a massive signing-on fee and a lower salary to fit him into the chairman Daniel Levy's pay structure.

  Adebayor is keen to remain at Tottenham, where he scored 17 Premier League goals last time out and the club's new manager André Villas-Boas wants him to join permanently. Villas-Boas likes to play a 4-3-3 formation and Adebayor would fit in as the lead striker. Villas-Boas also has an interest in the Brazil and Internacional striker Leandro Damião.

  Tottenham's move for Adebayor has implications for Van Persie's future. City are resolved to sign the Dutchman after he made it clear last week that he wanted to leave Arsenal but, first, they must trim the number of strikers on their payroll, which currently stands at seven.

  Van Persie played with Adebayor at Arsenal but the pair are confirmed enemies after the notorious afternoon at City in September 2009, when Adebayor raked his studs across his opponent's face. Van Persie accused him afterwards of a "mindless and malicious stamp". "He set out to hurt me," Van Persie said. "The contact was only centimetres from my eye."

  There is no chance of Van Persie joining City while Adebayor remains at the club. City are poised to make an offer of around £15m for Van Persie, who has one year to run on his Arsenal contract and they do not want to go above £20m. Arsenal's valuation of the double footballer of the year is considerably higher.

  Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said last season that there was no possibility of him selling Van Persie to City and the club have threatened to hold him to the final year of his contract, whether he likes it or not.

  Wenger has signed the strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud for a combined £24m.

• dragg

  10 Jul 12, 10:50

  only 5 million? chelsea should make an offer.
• zocoss

  10 Jul 12, 21:43

  Porto star for Spurs: AVB closes in on Moutinho to leave Chelsea in pole position to sign Oscar 

  Tottenham are also set to sign Emmanuel Adebayor, but reports Chelsea have agreed a deal for Brazil starlet Oscar appear to be premature

   

  

  Heading for White Hart Lane? Porto star Joao Moutinho is closing in on a move to Spurs

   

   

   

  Tottenham were today closing in on a deal to sign Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho - after leaving the field clear for Chelsea to land Brazilian schemer Oscar.

  Andre Villas-Boas, who has already completed the captures of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen, is on the brink of adding Moutinho to give him the dressing room disciple he lacked during his short-lived spell at Chelsea.

  And that has left the Blues as odds-on to capture Oscar, with Tottenham sources insisting the club pulled out of any interest in the South American at the end of last week.

  Spurs had been tracking the Internacional midfielder and made an initial £11million bid for the 20-year-old.

  But as the move for Moutinho became more concrete, Spurs switched targets and White Hart Lane sources are adamant Tottenham told Internacional they were no longer interested in the youngster three days ago.

   

  

  Blue boy? Internacional's Oscar could be on his way to Chelsea  

   

   

  That leaves Chelsea the favourites to get their man although suggestions of a £25m deal having been struck appear slightly off target.

  Oscar's agent, Carlos Meinberg, told Brazilian paper Terra: "Chelsea did offer 25m (£19.8m) but there is still no agreement between the clubs.

  "That may happen in the next few days. Oscar's other agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, will travel to England to finalise the remaining details.

  "Tottenham also made an offer, but he should accept Chelsea's offer as there is more exposure there."

  Spurs will fund the likely £22m capture of the 25-year-old Moutinho, a huge success under Villas-Boas as he guided Porto to an unbeaten season in 2010-11, by the imminent sale of Luka Modric to Real Madrid.

  Madrid have offered £28m plus former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is sticking to his demands for a package valued nearer £35m in order to assent to the Croatian's departure.

  Levy has made it clear he will not sell to a Premier League rival - both Chelsea and Manchester United were keen on Modric - and while the negotiations are continuing it seems a deal will be reached in the next few days.

  Levy also seems to be getting close to reaching an agreement with Manchester City to turn Emmanuel Adebayor's loan deal in N17 into a permanent move.

   

   

  

  Thumbs up to Spurs: Emmanuel Adebayor is set to rejoin the club on a permanent deal

   

   

  City need to offload Adebayor - and Bosnian Edin Dzeko, a target for Bayern Munich and AC Milan - in order to find space for Arsenal's want-away Dutch skipper Robin Van Persie - and appear ready to accept a £5m bid for the Togo striker, who will bank a huge signing-on fee to get his wages more in line with Tottenham's normal policy.     

• zocoss

  10 Jul 12, 21:53

  Stopper set for Spurs? Tottenham open talks with Lyon over keeper Hugo Lloris

   

  Franch newspaper L'Equipe reports the Lyon stopper is set to enter negotiations with AVB's new side

  

  Between the sticks: Hugo Lloris could be keeping goal for Spurs this season

   

   

  Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could be on his way to Tottenham after reports in France claimed the French side is in talks with the London club over his transfer.

  The France international is ready to leave Lyon and has a queue of clubs interested in bringing him to the Premier League, including Arsenal and Liverpool.

  Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aaulas admitted before Euro 2012 that the keeper had told him he could be tempted by an offer from a "great European club".          

  Now according to French newspaper L'Equipe it is Tottenham who are in pole position to snap him up, after they opened talks over the 25-year-old.

  The proposed fee is reported to be around 20 million euros.

  Tottenham already have Brad Friedel and Heurelho Gomes on their books, but Brazilian Gomes has fallen out of favour and Friedel is already 41-years-old and new boss Andre Villas-Boas is keen to bring in a younger replacement.

  The ex-Chelsea boss has already has already completed the captures of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen as he prepares for the new season.

• Medicated Oil

  10 Jul 12, 22:22

  AVB is hungry for his revenge.

  He is assembling his avenger alliance to crush Chelsea.

  Hope he can make the BPL more interesting to watch coming season.

• zocoss

  10 Jul 12, 22:38

  He has no choice as Spurs have lost most of their defenders at the same time, Harry didn't do a good job in this area. King may retire, Gallas is too old and may leave, Dawson is too injury prone. In midfield, Vdv could be on his way, Modric will also be going... In goal, Brad Friedel will be 42, Gomes is still a clown...

  If we look at the numbers that are going, the replacements are still not enough...

  Modric = Moutinho

  VDV = Gylfi Sigurdsson

  King / Gallas = Jan Vertonghen

  Friedel / Gomes = Hugo Lloris

  Adebayor = Adebayor . .  .  

• zocoss

  12 Jul 12, 23:08

  Spurs finally get their Jan: Ajax defender Vertonghen completes move after passing medical 

  The Belgian's move had more false starts than a Hercile Poirot investigation

   

  

  Nice to meet you! Andre Villas-Boas with new signings Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen

   

   

   

   

  Tottenham have finalised the signing of Jan Vertonghen from Ajax after the centre-half passed his medical.

  The 25-year-old, who captained the Amsterdam club, agreed terms with Spurs at the weekend and has now completed the formalities.

  Tottenham confirmed the news on their official Twitter feed, writing: "We are delighted to announce that Jan-Vertonghen has completed his transfer from Ajax after passing his medical."

  Spurs had been tracking the Belgium international for several months, with Vertonghen winning last season's Eredivisie player of the season award as Ajax won the league.

  Vertonghen's move was briefly delayed, however, amid reported interest from Arsenal while the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas as manager in place of Harry Redknapp also created some upheaval.

  Speaking after agreeing terms, Vertonghen welcomed the chance to ply his trade at White Hart Lane - regardless of who is in charge.

  "I am very relieved," he told Sky Sports News.

   

   

  

  Vertonghen, last season's Eredivisie player of the season  

   

   

  "It went on for a long time, but I'm glad I'm a Tottenham player right now and I'm looking forward to playing for the club.

  "I am 25 years old now and I feel ready to play in the Premier League. I heard that Harry Redknapp really wanted me to play for Tottenham, but now it's Andre Villas-Boas. To me, that doesn't matter.

  "I just want to play for the club and I hope I can please the fans at the club."

  He follows Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in signing for Tottenham since Villas-Boas arrived.