Thursday, 13th December, 2012
Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has revealed that Arsenal were serious contenders to sign him from Ajax over the summer, but their plans for him did not chime with his own view on where he should play.
Arsene Wenger’s Gunners were strongly linked with the Belgian before he left Ajax, although ultimately Vertonghen chose to join Arsenal’s local rivals, Tottenham Hotspur – a move which he certainly does not regret having made.
And Belgian admits he could have joined Arsenal, such was the seriousness of their desire to sign him.
"Arsenal’s interest was concrete, but they wanted me to control the midfield, to be an Emmanuel Petit-type player", Vertonghen told NUsport.
"I’m not afraid of competition, but the overall picture at Spurs appealed to me more", he added.
Vertonghen also stressed that he sees himself more as a centre-back and not a midfielder, although he has been shuffled out to left-back by Spurs on occasion.
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"Ultimately, I just came to play centre-back.
"Now I’m trying to make a name for myself at left-back."
However, the Belgian defender did caution that he could come unstuck at left-back against speedy and physically agile wingers, with his qualities more suited to operating in the centre of the defence.
"I think of myself as backup [at left-back]. Especially against agile men like [Raheem] Sterling and Nani, it is not my game.
"I’m not agile enough."
Vertonghen has regularly commanded a spot in Spurs’ side this season, playing 15 times in the Premier League so far and on six occasions in the Europa League.
Andre Villas-Boas’ men have him under lock and key at White Hart Lane until 2016 and are counting upon him to be a mainstay of the team for many years to come.
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