You’ll do better to find a better free agent this summer
Jan Vertonghen has joined Benfica on a free transfer after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, signing a three year contract with the Lisbon club.
The Portuguese club announced the move on Twitter on Friday evening, posting a video of the defender taking off a white shirt to unveil their new jersey – alluding to the ‘Super Jan’ celebration he became known for.
https://twitter.com/SLBenfica/status/1294323615706619910
Vertonghen spent the past eight seasons at Spurs after joining from Ajax and was a key part of their rise under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Belgian is 33 years old now, and as Jose Mourinho looks to implement his vision at the club, it was decided that they would part ways on amicable terms.
Benfica are getting a player on the decline, sure, but they’re also getting a brilliant defender who excels with the ball at his feet. During his time in north London, he played as a central defender in a back four and a back three, as well as a left-back and a left wing-back.
He was adored by the Spurs faithful in no small part due to his marauding runs forward and his undying fight for the cause.
In a market where nobody has any money to spend and world class defenders are increasingly scarce, Vertonghen will go down as one of the deals of the summer for Benfica, who are looking to regain the Primeira Liga title from rivals Porto next term.
