• Premier League

Vertonghen pledges Tottenham allegiance

Jan Vertonghen insists that he wants to stay at Tottenham despite being flattered by links with a move to Barcelona.

Vertonghen, 27, impressed during the World Cup with Belgium and has been attracting the interest from Spain and Manchester United, who are both looking for a new centre-back this summer.

However, the defender seems ready to follow Hugo Lloris' lead and sign the new deal he claims Spurs have offered him.

"It goes without saying that I would like to stay at Tottenham Hotspur," he is quoted as telling Belgium's Radio 1. "I still had a contract for four years. They offered me [a] new contract of five years, I see [that] as [a] great sign of confidence."

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Asked about the Barcelona links on talk show Vive le Velo, Vertonghen added: "There will always be rumours, but I'm going back to Tottenham. The interest of a great club like Barcelona is certainly flattering. That is confirmation that I am doing a good job."

He added: "They say that where's there's smoke there's fire, but there's certainly no fire at the moment."

Vertonghen arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2012 and was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year that season.

However, he has yet to return to pre-season training and admitted that he will be careful before committing himself to full matches until he is fully fit.

"I walked in the World Cup match against Argentina on an ankle injury," he said. "I want to be careful, because [a] season like [the] previous one where I jogged from one injury to another I absolutely want to avoid."

Jan Vertonghen wants to stay at White Hart Lane despite interest from Barcelona © PA Photos

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