Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur have still not thrashed out an agreement for defender Jan Vertonghen, according to sources in Holland.

 

Vertonghen has his heart set on a switch to White Hart Lane and the sacking of Harry Redknapp, who worked tirelessly throughout last season to identify the Belgian defender as an addition, has not put the player off.

 

The stopper has just one year left on his contract at the Amsterdam ArenA and feels ready for the challenge of the English Premier League; the 25-year-old got a taste of what life in England would be like when facing Manchester United in the Europa League and loved the experience.

 

However, Vertonghen’s proposed move to Spurs is deadlocked over the fee to be paid for his services.

 

Ajax are demanding €15M for the Belgium international, while a compromise figure of €12M may be acceptable for the Dutch champions.

 

Spurs though are starting from a point of €8M and do not want to go higher than €10M.

 

An impasse has therefore been reached and the clock is ticking for Vertonghen to report to Ajax for pre-season training.

 

While many of the Ajax squad are due back for training on Monday, Vertonghen has one further week off due to Belgium’s international friendly after the season ended.

 

With negotiations between the Dutch giants and Spurs dragging along, the defender may end up completing at least part of his preparations for the new season in Amsterdam.

 

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