Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has not given up hope of handing Jan Vertonghen a new contract, per The Daily Star.

What’s the word?

The Belgium international’s current contract, worth £100,000-a-week according to Spotrac, expires at the end of the season.

Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag has already claimed that the Dutch club would be interested in a move for the 32-year-old should he be available in the summer.

But the Star now claims that manager Mourinho is retaining hope of keeping Vertonghen beyond the end of the season.

Toby Alderweireld, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season, has already committed his future to the club.

Reinforcement still needed

Spurs still need to inject some youth into their backline.

Whether Vertonghen stays or not, both he and his countryman, Alderweireld, are ageing and will swiftly need replacing.

Davinson Sanchez is 23 and, while Juan Foyth is 22, the latter was available to buy in January, per sources, and could well leave the club in the summer.

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There have been links with numerous players; Football Insider claims that Nathan Ake is a potential target, while The Daily Express also states that Benfica’s Ruben Dias could be another possible summer acquisition.

Keeping Vertonghen as something of an elder statesman might not be the worst idea but he needs to be guiding a new signing, a young, excellent, central defender, after the summer if he does choose to stay.

Meanwhile, Spurs almost signed a Russia international in January!