Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly extended Jan Vertonghen’s contract.

Tottenham Hotspur have extended Jan Vertonghen’s contract, according to The Times.

Vertonghen’s deal was due to expire in 2016, but the club have now activated a clause in his existing deal allowing them to extend it by a further two years.

It is unclear whether he has received a pay rise as part of the extension.

The Times report states: “Tottenham Hotspur have exercised a clause in the contract of Jan Vertonghen to extend his deal by two years until 2018.”

Negotiations over a new deal were reported last year, only for Vertonghen to put them on hold, seeing them as a distraction, as reported the London Evening Standard.

This inevitably led to speculation over his future, with The Mirror reporting Manchester United were interested in signing him.

Major boost for Tottenham

There are several contenders, but Jan Vertonghen is a top candidate to be named captain of the club after Younes Kaboul was sold to Sunderland earlier this month.

He has been a key part of the defence since signing from Ajax, voted into the Premier League Team of the Season by his peers in his debut campaign.

Spurs have just signed his international colleague Toby Alderweireld from Southampton, and the pair have the potential to form a highly effective centre-back partnership for the club.

Tying down Vertonghen to an extended deal was the natural next step for the club’s effort to build, and it will come as a relief to fans that there is no risk of him leaving on a free transfer next summer.

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