Tottenham are in the market for a new central defender, as the manager is keen on providing more competition to the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. The club are in the hunt for a new defender despite having one of the best defensive records in the division. Joel Veltman has been linked with a move to Spurs for the last few weeks. The 25-year-old is one of the highly rated central defenders in the Dutch football after helping Ajax get a lot of success in the 2016-17 season. He ended up helping Ajax to ensure that they conceded just 23 goals – a joint best defensive record along with PSV Eindhoven – in the 34 regular season games.
It appears that Spurs are using Vincent Janssen as a trump card in order to convince Veltman to move to English football. Vincent Janssen, who came to the club last summer, is a teammate of Veltman at international level. The forward did not make much of an impact even with repeated first-team appearances. As a result, it is widely expected that he may be allowed to leave the club on a temporary – or even permanent – basis in order to revive his confidence and career. However, he may just assist the club in signing one of the top-rated defenders in European football.
Marshaled by the excellent Veltman, Ajax managed to reach the finals of the Europa League where they were ultimately beaten by Manchester United. However, it is seen as a commendable performance for a team on a shoestring budget compared to Manchester United. The failure of the club to reach the Champions League group stages next season could be confirmed if they receive a hard qualifying game in the summer.
Speaking about his future, Veltman said that he is not concerned about these transfer rumours as he still has a lot of time to decide. He said:
“Vincent Janssen has already joked that we will be team-mates, but at the moment there is nothing concrete.
“Normally it is or sign a new deal or leave, as I have only one year left. After my holiday there will be clarity, but the incentive to take a step up is now bigger than before.”
Source: Standard
The player’s contract runs out in the summer of 2018, thus making him an attractive proposition for any club trying to sign a top central defender. However, it is understood that Ajax have offered a new contract for the player. After coming through the youth ranks at Ajax, he has made more than 150 appearances for the club in all competitions.
