Vertonghen seals Tottenham move

Jan Vertonghen has successfully passed his medical and completed his move from Ajax to Tottenham.



The Belgian defender has been the subject of a protracted transfer saga, as he had been targeted by Spurs during the tenure of Harry Redknapp.



A wrangle over a transfer percentage between Vertonghen and Ajax threatened to derail the deal, while further doubt was cast when Redknapp was axed and replaced by Andre Villas-Boas.



Villas-Boas did not block the transfer and at the weekend it was announced the deal had been agreed. This allowed Vertonghen to travel to London for a medical, which he completed without alarm.



Vertonghen put his name to a Tottenham contract and he joins Gylfi Sugurdsson in making the move to White Hart Lane.

Spurs sign Ajax star

Tottenham Hotspur have signed Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen for a fee possibly rising to 12 million euros.



Both clubs had long been in talks over the possibility of the Belgium defender moving to White Hart Lane, and the deal is now set to be completed.



Vertonghen will ink a long-term contract with Spurs upon completion of his medical.



"I'm very happy that the saga's finally over. I don't have to worry about anything anymore, and can focus on other things again," the 25-year-old told the Ajax website.



"It's great that I can start at Spurs during pre-season. That was very important for me. I'm looking forward to a great time. I've heard a lot of beautiful stories about Tottenham."



Vertonghen came through the ranks of the Ajax youth academy, and has made 220 official appearances for the Eredivisie champions, scoring 28 goals in the process.



Meanwhile, Spurs striker Giovani dos Santos insists he is remaining calm over his future as his agent seeks to secure him a move away from the club.



The Mexican moved to north London from Barcelona in 2008 but failed to break through under Harry Redknapp and has been loaned out three times.



However, the 23-year-old claims he is not yet 'desperate' to leave and has reiterated that he will continue to act professionally should he have to stay.



"The window closes at the end of August and I am calm, I'm not getting desperate," Dos Santos told Record.



"I'm still a Tottenham player and if there is no other option, I'll stay and do my best like I have always done.



"I can't complain. I have learnt a lot at Tottenham, the team have great quality, and it won't be a bad thing if I have to stay.



"Nothing concrete has come as yet, we expect that will happen within the next few days."



Dos Santos also maintained that his current focus is on Mexico's campaign at the London 2012 Olympic Games and not his future.



"I'm very relaxed here with the national team (at a pre-Olympic training camp), my head is here and my agent is dealing with everything," he said.



"I am trying to keep myself away from it all and focus here, to be 100 per cent and not get worried about the clubs.



"There are obviously options, but I'm relaxed. I talk to my agent every day and he has told me to stay calm and that there will be news soon."

Vertonghen keen to finalise move

Defender Jan Vertonghen admits he is growing frustrated at the fact his transfer from Ajax to Spurs is yet to be completed.



Spurs had been on course to seal a deal earlier this month but as yet the Belgian remains an Ajax player.



There have been reports that there is an issue between the player and Ajax regarding a possible fee he may be due from the transfer, although Ajax financial director Jeroen Slop has claimed it is Spurs who have slowed down the progress of the deal.



Vertonghen has now revealed he is keen to finalise the move as soon as possible in order to end the uncertainty surrounding his future.



"I had not expected it would go on for this long," he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.



"I am not just hoping for a solution but I do not assume. I thought this would happen much sooner, Tottenham was fast, serious and concrete.



"Look, Ajax wants what is best for themselves, and I go with myself - that is life, but I have always been good with the fans and the club, I just did not take into account it would take this long."



Should the deal go through, Spurs are expected to pay around £9.5million for the highly-rated 25-year-old.

Vertonghen still keen on Spurs move

Jan Vertonghen's agent insists his client's move to Tottenham is still on despite the sacking of Harry Redknapp.



Spurs began talks with Ajax over the transfer of Vertonghen some weeks ago, but the two sides are still reported to be some way apart on their valuation of the 25-year-old defender.



Vertonghen, whose contract expires next summer, has made it clear he wants to move to White Hart Lane despite interest from other Barclays Premier League clubs, most notably Arsenal.



This week's sacking of Redknapp, who wanted to sign the player in January, raised doubts over whether the deal would go ahead, but Vertonghen's agent Mustapha Nakhli insists the move is "very close".



"Nothing has changed at all. He is coming to Tottenham for the club and not for the manager," Nakhli said.



"Managers come and go. Of course Jan is sorry that Harry Redknapp is no longer there but he is going for the club.



"We have a good relationship with Daniel Levy. He wants the deal to happen and there is a good atmosphere (between us).



"I don't know when it will happen but the deal is close, very close."



Two weeks ago after lauding the Premier League, Vertonghen was asked whether Tottenham was the club he wanted to join.



He said: "Yes. I know where I want to go and I think it is clear to everybody.



"I am a big fan of the Premier League. It is almost the only competition I watch on TV and for me it is the best competition in the world."



Redknapp's three-and-a-half year reign at Tottenham came to an end in the early hours of Thursday morning when his sacking was announced by the club.



The news came as a shock to many considering Redknapp had steered the club from the bottom of the league to two top-four finishes, and a Champions League quarter-final, since taking over in October 2008.



His failure to secure another season of Champions League football after leading Arsenal by 10 points, and his public flirtation with the England job, seem to have led to the 65-year-old's downfall.



Speculation over who will replace the former West Ham and Portsmouth boss has been rife since.



David Moyes, Roberto Martinez, Laurent Blanc and Andre Villas-Boas have all been mentioned as possible successors, and Spurs have vowed to take their time over a new appointment.



Moyes, who has forged a sterling reputation after a decade of over-achievement at Everton, refused to rule himself out of the running, but insisted he was content with life at Goodison Park.



"All I can say is that I have had no contact and if I had had any I would have told my chairman (Bill Kenwright)," Moyes told BBC Radio 5 Live.



"I hope to meet all my ambitions at Everton but you never know in this game."



Martinez's love of attacking football may work in his favour, but some fans are sceptical whether he would be able to make the step up after three years battling against relegation with Wigan.



Villas-Boas is a free agent and has trophy-winning experience on his side - but his unsuccessful stint at Chelsea may rule him out, while Blanc has built a good reputation after rebuilding a France side that flopped at the 2010 World Cup.



Whoever does come in, they will have a number of problems to resolve - most notably securing the futures of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, who have been linked with moves away from the north London club all season.

Tottenham Hotspur Must Increase Bid for Jan Vertonghen

Tottenham Hotspur must increase their offer to buy Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen to €15M if they want to take the Belgian to White Hart Lane.



Vertonghen was in the stands when Spurs took on Fulham on Sunday and held talks with Harry Redknapp after the match. According to Voetbal International, the centre back had been granted permission by Ajax coach Frank de Boer, who is resigned to losing the 25-year-old if an agreement can be reached on price.



That agreement however is still elusive, with Spurs’ latest offer for Vertonghen sitting at €12M.



For Ajax, this is not quite good enough, and the freshly crowned Eredivisie champions have slapped a €15M asking price on the defender’s head.



Now the ball is in Tottenham’s court to increase their bid and quickly complete a deal for Vertonghen when talks between the two clubs resume later this week.



Vertonghen, who was named Eredivisie Player of the Year for 2011/12, issued a plea last week for Spurs to thrash out an agreement with Ajax, such is his desire to move to White Hart Lane.



The defender has also been backed to flourish in the Premier League by De Boer, who claimed in April that he is "ready" for English football.