Sunday 25 March 2018 19:47, UK
Jan Vertonghen is relaxed about the Tottenham future of his centre-back partner Toby Alderweireld.
Vertonghen and Alderweireld have played together for both club and country, formerly with Ajax and now with Spurs, though there is mounting speculaytion that Alderweireld could leave, with the 29-year-old yet to pen a new deal.
Alderweireld's current deal has the option of a one-year extension and means he is under contract until 2020, but there is also a £25m release clause that will be activated in the summer of 2019 for the centre-back who has struggled with injury this season.
For Vertonghen though, there is no cause for concern.
"Whenever we play we understand each other," Vertonghen told Sky Sports News. "When I left for Tottenham, Toby left for Atletico [Madrid] and Southampton but we found each other quite quick after that, so no stress.
"We've been playing together for a long time and we know how to play together, but I don't want to speak about this because it might sound disrespectful to whoever is playing next to me or next to Toby in other situations."
Alderweireld has been making his way back to full fitness within the Spurs set-up in recent weeks, and missed both Champions League encounters with Juventus.
The centre-back only featured twice for Tottenham since November, despite declaring himself "fit and ready" in January after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has since explained the club is reintegrating the player to the first team steadily in an attempt to protect his long-term career.
In Alderweireld's absence Vertonghen has struck up a partnership with £42m summer arrival Davinson Sanchez.
