Tottenham’s restructuring program under new head coach Andre Villas-Boas shows no signs of abating, with yesterday’s announcement that Ajax skipper Jan Vertonghen will join the north London outfit this week, subject to a medical.
The centre-half is the second new arrival in the past few days, following the acquisition of Gylfi Sigurdsson, and will bolster a backline that has already lost Ryan Nelsen and is likely to see Ledley King retire in the close season. A long-term target of the club, Vertonghen was linked with a move to White Hart Lane under the Harry Redknapp regime but the club’s interest continued after the departure of their former manager – the Belgian is expected to be crucial to the first-team cause next term and revealed he is happy to finally seal the move after months of speculation:
I am very relieved. 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 have heard a lot of good stories from my Belgium team-mates. I think I’m ready.
The Statistics
Initially, Vertonghen spent time with VK Tielrode and Germinal Beerschot in his native country before joining the Ajax youth academy as a 16-year-old in 2003. Acquired as a defensive midfielder, the 6 foot 2 inch Belgian was shifted into the back-four and, while his natural position is left-sided centre-half, he is versatile enough to slot in at left-back should the need require.
Vertonghen made his debut for the Amsterdam outfit in the 2006 campaign, turning out on a couple of occasions before being sent out on loan to Eredivisie strugglers RKC Waalwijk, where he made 12 appearances and grabbed three goals. Returning to his parent club the following season, Vertonghen established himself as a regular first-team fixture and played under the likes of Marco Van Basten, Martin Jol and Franck De Boer over his time at the Dutch outfit.
A keen eye for goal and set-piece ability saw the Belgian produce impressive attacking returns at Ajax. Over a total of 155 league appearances he netted 26 times and provided nine assists, with the 2011/12 his most eye-catching to date; Vertonghen was voted Dutch Player of the Year as his eight goals helped De Boer’s side to the Eredivisie title.
The Prospects
It’s difficult to ascertain just how much the arrival of Villas-Boas will affect Spurs’ prospects in the season ahead. The north London outfit racked up 14 clean sheets in Redknapp’s final campaign in charge but the high defensive line favoured by the new man in charge will have many Fantasy managers thinking twice over investing in their backline.
Chelsea’s failure to adapt to Villas-Boas’ demanding pressing game saw them picked off on the counter on a consistent basis last time round – the Blues returned just seven clean sheets over his 26 games in charge but Spurs are determined to bring in younger, more dynamic players in order to implement the new manager’s game plan. Vertonghen and the likes of Younes Kaboul and Steven Caulker won’t struggle for pace, while the speed of Kyle Walker on the right will be a valuable asset to the new system, suggesting their defence may find it a little better than John Terry and co to adapt to Villas-Boas’ philosophy.
In addition to his goal contribution, Vertonghen is what you would expect of an Ajax academy graduate. A superb reader of the game, he is calm on the ball with outstanding distribution from the back, which is likely to kick-start quick counter attacks as Spurs look to break at speed – a crucial element of the philosophy expected under Villas-Boas. The centre-half’s strong, all-round game is set to see him priced highly across the Fantasy games next term – a valuation of 6.0 – 6.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) can be expected.
Certainly, Spurs’ favourable opening schedule affords Vertonghen a chance to demonstrate his capabilities. While a trip to Newcastle in Gameweek 1 seems tricky, the following four matches (WBA, NOR, rdg, QPR) look superb and are likely to see substantial Fantasy investment come Tottenham’s way. The Belgian’s contribution at both ends of the pitch suggests he could be a beneficiary of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index and, providing Villas-Boas can replicate his impact at Porto as opposed to Stamford Bridge, Vertonghen could very well prove to be a strong value option for the season ahead.
Further Reference
Jan Vertonghen Wikipedia
Jan Vertonghen Statistics
Jan Vertonghen YouTube
