Jan Vertonghen

[Ted Hughes]

Ajax's Frank de Boer confirms Manchester City interest in Jan Vertonghen


The Belgium international has been in impressive form for the Eredivisie giants and his good performances haven't gone unnoticed at Eastlands

Ajax coach Frank de Boer has confirmed that Premier League side Manchester City have shown an interest in signing centre-back Jan Vertonghen.

City manager Roberto Mancini is looking to add a left-footed defender to his squad in the summer transfer window, and sees Vertonghen as an ideal addition.

The Italian tactician visited the KNVB Beker final between Ajax and Twente on Sunday and was allegedly impressed with the Belgium international's performance.

De Boer admitted that he had been made aware of Mancini's presence at the match, telling De Telegraaf: "[Assistant coach] Danny Blind told me that Mancini was at the stadium and I know that Manchester City are interested in signing him. One and one is two."


The 24-year-old stopper is a product of the Germinal Beerschot youth academy, and after joining Ajax at the age of 16, he has since made over 100 official appearances for the Amsterdam giants.

Vertonghen's current contract runs until the summer of 2013, and an offer in the region of €15 million could be required to lure him to England.

The defender has previously been linked with clubs such as Arsenal and AC Milan, and the player himself recently revealed that he's ready to take the next step in his career.



Anyone really watched him properly? I've seen him but never really taken much notice. Not happy about us signing Cahill though so hopefully this is a better option?

[Goaters 103]

And today appears to be the official start of summers annual link everyone to City parade.

We've got Arry running his mush off again about us, and now every player, agent and team will be linking us and hiking up the price.

If we kept a score of players linked to us from now until Aug 31 we will comfortably be in 3 figures.

[Ted Hughes]

And today appears to be the official start of summers annual link everyone to City parade.

We've got Arry running his mush off again about us, and now every player, agent and team will be linking us and hiking up the price.

If we kept a score of players linked to us from now until Aug 31 we will comfortably be in 3 figures.

I recon we're going to try & do most of our business early, like we did at Christmas, so the biggest rumours that come about now, may be the ones we're actually talking to.

[Blue Blood]

And today appears to be the official start of summers annual link everyone to City parade.

We've got Arry running his mush off again about us, and now every player, agent and team will be linking us and hiking up the price.

If we kept a score of players linked to us from now until Aug 31 we will comfortably be in 3 figures.

I recon we're going to try & do most of our business early, like we did at Christmas, so the biggest rumours that come about now, may be the ones we're actually talking to.

Spot on.

City don't play around any more.

I'd expect once top 4 is secured the transfer cogs will kick into top gear.

[Ted Hughes]

Stuart Brennan has now changed a few of the words, shrunk it & stuck this piece about Vertonghen on the MUEN website as if he's written it. Money for old fucking rope.

[Mike J]

Stuart Brennan has now changed a few of the words, shrunk it & stuck this piece about Vertonghen on the MUEN website as if he's written it. Money for old fucking rope.

one of the laziest, most useless journo's around.

[Tokyo Blue]

Stuart Brennan has now changed a few of the words, shrunk it & stuck this piece about Vertonghen on the MUEN website as if he's written it. Money for old fucking rope.

He might even have cut and pasted it from your post.

[Goaters 103]

Money for old fucking rope.

Lol! Love that phrase - one of me old Grandad's fav's. He will be looking down on us on Saturday and hopefully bringing us luck.

[Blue Blood]

Stuart Brennan has now changed a few of the words, shrunk it & stuck this piece about Vertonghen on the MUEN website as if he's written it. Money for old fucking rope.

one of the laziest, most useless journo's around.

Not wrong.

Although in general I have little time for sports journos.

Paid rumour mongers in general.

[Avalon]

I watch the Dutch eredivisie quit often, though I spend most of my time looking at the youth coming through the ranks from the Feyenoord academy, as they seem to be the most impressive in recent years. Vertonghen is quite good though, at least in the Eredivisie. Remember that Vermaelen came from there as well.

Not to hijack the thread, but the whole Belgian team looks like a list of future world beaters. Lukaku, Vertonghen, Hazard, Defour, Vermaelen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel, Fellaini and of course a certain youngster in our youth that regularly plays matches for us.

[Blue Blood]

I watch the Dutch eredivisie quit often, though I spend most of my time looking at the youth coming through the ranks from the Feyenoord academy, as they seem to be the most impressive in recent years. Vertonghen is quite good though, at least in the Eredivisie. Remember that Vermaelen came from there as well.

Not to hijack the thread, but the whole Belgian team looks like a list of future world beaters. Lukaku, Vertonghen, Hazard, Defour, Vermaelen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel, Fellaini and of course a certain youngster in our youth that regularly plays matches for us.

Hazard, the jewel of the golden generation. Whoever bags him this summer will be very lucky indeed.

To say city wouldn't be checking on him or even a few of the other in the list would be ridiculous.

Some of the best youngsters in the world mostly all available for very little.

[Fesan]

I watch the Dutch eredivisie quit often, though I spend most of my time looking at the youth coming through the ranks from the Feyenoord academy, as they seem to be the most impressive in recent years. Vertonghen is quite good though, at least in the Eredivisie. Remember that Vermaelen came from there as well.

Not to hijack the thread, but the whole Belgian team looks like a list of future world beaters. Lukaku, Vertonghen, Hazard, Defour, Vermaelen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel, Fellaini and of course a certain youngster in our youth that regularly plays matches for us.

Throw in our very own Boyata as central defender pairing with Kompany and you got a pretty decent team shaping up!

Been saying it for years, during the next 5-10 years Belgium is going to do really well in Euro/world cups! 2012 comes alittle early for them but should start seeing some great stuff from them in Rio 2014.

[john@staustell]

Thank fuck we 'missed' David Luiz as the 'left-sided centre back'.

The 'classy liability'!

[Blue Blood]

Thank fuck we 'missed' David Luiz as the 'left-sided centre back'.

The 'classy liability'!

Bags of talent, bags of inconsistency.

I agree John, he was well dodged by us. Reliability at the back is a must in this league.

[Avalon]

I watch the Dutch eredivisie quit often, though I spend most of my time looking at the youth coming through the ranks from the Feyenoord academy, as they seem to be the most impressive in recent years. Vertonghen is quite good though, at least in the Eredivisie. Remember that Vermaelen came from there as well.

Not to hijack the thread, but the whole Belgian team looks like a list of future world beaters. Lukaku, Vertonghen, Hazard, Defour, Vermaelen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel, Fellaini [highlight]and of course a certain youngster in our youth that regularly plays matches for us[/highlight].

Throw in our very own [highlight]Boyata[/highlight] as central defender pairing with Kompany and you got a pretty decent team shaping up!

Been saying it for years, during the next 5-10 years Belgium is going to do really well in Euro/world cups! 2012 comes alittle early for them but should start seeing some great stuff from them in Rio 2014.

[Fesan]

Let's not judge Luiz so quickly, Kompany was at best mediocre in his first season for us. Luiz came in and was instantly a first choice centre back that is no mean feat. He has had good games and bad games, AFAIK more good than bad so overall I'd say he has done well for a christmas signing.

I am sure he will be great in a season or two and we will rue missing out on him. However I must say we got a Lescott in form instead of a rookie PL defender in the closing stages of this season:-)

[CityGer]

Luiz will be up there with the best centre halfs in the world in no time. Just needs to improve his concentration and to work on that rashness that sees him want to dive in too quick. Very classy player with a few rough edges.

Not seen a lot of Vertonghen. Like the idea of a left sided defender to give Lescott some competition. Maybe Bobby is looking for someone who can cover LB if required with Bridge likely to leave.

[Ted Hughes]

Luiz looks like a midfielder playing at CB to me. If we had signed him, we'd be out of everything now & Bob would be on the plane back to Italy. Lucky escape.


Belgium really do seem to be unearthing some potential gems. Perhaps we should buy their whole youth set up ?

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Luiz will be up there with the best centre halfs in the world in no time. Just needs to improve his concentration and to work on that rashness that sees him want to dive in too quick. Very classy player with a few rough edges.

Not seen a lot of Vertonghen. Like the idea of a left sided defender to give Lescott some competition. Maybe Bobby is looking for someone who can cover LB if required with Bridge likely to leave.

I wonder if Bobby Manc is contemplating playing with three centre backs (as per Mr H's recent training reports), allowing the full backs to operate as out and out wing backs.

If the centre backs were Boyota, Kompany and Vertonghen, it might be quite interesting with three Belgians all together and, presumably, on the same wavelength. Does anyone know if they all speak Flemish or Walloon ??

15m Euros for Vertonghen wouldn't be breaking the Bank either.

[Avalon]

Luiz will be up there with the best centre halfs in the world in no time. Just needs to improve his concentration and to work on that rashness that sees him want to dive in too quick. Very classy player with a few rough edges.

Not seen a lot of Vertonghen. Like the idea of a left sided defender to give Lescott some competition. Maybe Bobby is looking for someone who can cover LB if required with Bridge likely to leave.

I wonder if Bobby Manc is contemplating playing with three centre backs (as per Mr H's recent training reports), allowing the full backs to operate as out and out wing backs.

If the centre backs were Boyota, Kompany and Vertonghen, it might be quite interesting with three Belgians all together and, presumably, on the same wavelength. Does anyone know if they all speak Flemish or Walloon ??

15m Euros for Vertonghen wouldn't be breaking the Bank either.

No Belgian speaks Flemish, or Walloon. They speak either, or both, Dutch or French. As for Boyata, I think he's from Brussels, so I think he might speak both, Kompany, although his name if French speaks a ton of languages and Vertonghen speaks Dutch, as he plays in the Netherlands, though might speak some French.

Edit: looks like Boyata and Kompany are from the same place, Uccle, a place in Brussels, hence they get on very well. I'd reckon Kompany speaks Dutch, French, German and English, though somehow I think he spoke one, or two more languages.

Edit 2: Also, as Vertonghen lives in the Netherlands, there's a good chance he'll speak English too, as most Dutch people tend to speak English some way, or another.