Vertonghen´s Spurs deal hits hurdle

Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen says he does not expect the club to reach an agreement over his proposed transfer to Tottenham.

Spurs are believed to have agreed a 9.6 million-pound deal in principle for Vertonghen, but the deal has stalled over the Belgian defender’s right to 15 percent of the transfer fee.

He has agreed personal terms and passed a medical with the north London club, but the deal is under threat as the Ajax board are refusing to pay the 25-year-old his cut.

Spurs sources remain confident that a deal will eventually be reached for the centre-back, who has one year remaining on his contract, but Vertonghen has now suggested he is preparing to return to Ajax for pre-season training at the start of July.

“This is a shame. I thought that it would be sorted out much sooner,” the Belgian told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

“As it looks now, I’ll be at Ajax on July 2. I’m hoping for a solution, but I’m not expecting a solution.

“I have one advantage: Ajax have got a good coach who knows me. I play in a good, stable squad. Let’s become champions with Ajax for the third time in a row.”

Vertonghen also hit out at leaks from within the Amsterdam club about details of the proposed transfer, particularly his right to a portion of the final fee.

“I’m shocked. The percentage is correct. It’s unbelievable. I know that at Ajax a lot of things are leaking. When you hear it about other football players, you don’t feel it. It’s different when it’s about yourself,” he said.