JAN VERTONGHEN’S agent insists the defender’s reaction to being subbed by Jose Mourinho against Southampton has nothing to do with his uncertain future.
The Spurs star is out of contract at the end of the season and has been given no assurances over an extension by his new boss.
Vertonghen, who has seen compatriot Toby Alderweireld sign a new deal since Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino, now finds himself benched in place of Davinson Sanchez.
And after getting a rare start in the FA Cup fourth-round replay win against Southampton on Wednesday, he was taken off after just 54 minutes with the scores tied at 1-1.
Vertonghen looked down in the dumps as he trudged off the field to his seat on the bench.
And his reaction left many wondering if the veteran knew he had played his final game for the club.
Spurs went on to win the game 3-2 thanks to a late penalty from Son Heung-Min.
But Vertonghen’s agent is adamant the centre-back was simply deflated by the decision to take him off the pitch.
Tom De Mul told HLN Sport: “He’s feeling better now. His reaction had nothing to do with his future. He was just disappointed when he got subbed off.
“He was unhappy about his performance and the team’s performance in the first hour.
“Jan still wants to achieve great things with Spurs. He wants to qualify for the Europa League or Champions League, to win the FA Cup.
“He is 32 but still very ambitious. He is focused. He still has so many targets. The European Championships are a super important goal too.
“Jan is still super happy at Spurs and loves London. He is still very committed.
“There’s a lot of respect for Tottenham, just like there is a lot of respect from the club towards us.
“That’s logical after eight seasons. There is a connection. We haven’t reached an agreement as yet, but we don’t rule out anything.
“There’s interest in him as a free agent, but Spurs is a very interesting option for us. The door’s still open.”
