The front page news on this morning’s edition of Italian sports newspaper Corriere Dello Sport is that Napoli has now focused in on signing Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen.
The story according to the Italian paper is that Napoli has been told that any approach for Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen will be rejected as the Gunners do not have enough defensive cover, and as a result Rafa Benítez has turned his attention to another Belgium international Jan Vertonghen.
Corriere Dello Sport article:
Benitez has tried every way to get to Vermaelen (28)… but Arsenal, Wenger indeed, has blocked the operation to avoid creating a chasm in the department.
The Gunners, committed both at the top of the Premier is in the Champions League, only have three central defenders – Mertesacker, Koscielny and Vermaelen – and so without a purchase of another quality defender they will never give the green light for [Vermaelen’s] sale of the ball Rafa.
And then there is Vertonghen (26): Another Belgian, another tough central defender who plays at the international level.
Tottenham is currently involved in talks with Napoli over Etienne Capoue and Goran Padev with Vertonghen coming into the mix only another complication that could add difficulty to any deal as the transfer clock ticks down.
