By John Cross
Sir Alex Ferguson has made a last-ditch move to try to hijack Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen’s move to the Premier League.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger remains hopeful of clinching a £7million deal for the Belgian defender, while Tottenham have also made an enquiry.
But Manchester United boss Ferguson is also tracking the in-demand centre-half.
Wenger has been sending scouts to watch Vertonghen – who is a close pal of Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen – and is ready to complete a cut-price deal, as the player only has one year left on his contract.
But the late interest from United and Tottenham is a concern to Arsenal, who believed they had got their man, to complement Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
Vertonghen has admitted he must decide and said: “I have to make a choice. There’s something going on with Tottenham, but there are more clubs interested in signing me.
“The most important thing for me is that I get regular playing time. Plus I need a stable environment.
“More and more clubs in England seem to realise that you can go a long way with ‘good football’.
“Arsenal started with it, and teams like Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester City are playing good football as well now.”
