March 25 (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen has refused to comment on team mate Toby Alderweireld’s future at the Premier League club but says he is not stressed about the 29-year-old’s potential departure.
Alderweireld, who is on the mend from a hamstring injury, has a year left on his Tottenham contract and has yet to sign a new deal, with media reports saying that the Belgian could leave the north London side.
“Whenever we play we understand each other,” Vertonghen told Sky Sports News. “When I left for Tottenham, Toby left for Atletico (Madrid) and Southampton but we found each other quite quick after that, so no stress.
“We’ve been playing together for a long time and we know how to play together but I don’t want to speak about this because it might sound disrespectful to whoever is playing next to me or next to Toby in other situations.”
Alderweireld has played two games since he sustained the injury during November’s Champions League win over Real Madrid, despite declaring himself fit in January.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has said that the lack of game time was intended to reintegrate the defender into the first team while protecting his long-term career.
Tottenham face Chelsea next Sunday in a crucial league fixture with both teams fighting for a top-four finish. (Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Clare Fallon)
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