Is Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen currently the best centre-back in Europe?

In a week that saw Eden Hazard trump Kevin De Bruyne to the Belgian player of the year award, by 11 votes no less, any number of Premier League players could have picked up the accolade. Attackers are favoured in these circumstances, but looking further back and Jan Vertonghen undeniably deserved a look in. 

The Tottenham defender’s performances were recognised with a nomination for the January player of the month, along with teammate Christian Eriksen, but the general consensus is Vertonghen won’t be rewarded for his expert form. When discussing the best centre-backs on the continent, the Spurs man flies well under the radar, though supporters would be happy to keep it that way if only to ward off interest from predatorial advances. 

When rumours suggesting the 30-year-old could depart during the dark days of Tim Sherwood’s reign of terror, some may not have been against Vertonghan’s sale. His form had plateaued and a change of fortunes would, at the time, have done the player the world of good. That is, until, Mauricio Pochettino got his hands on the defender. 

Now, he’s a lynchpin in the defence and while plaudits are thrown around willy nilly to praise the likes of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, fewer appreciate the performances of Vertonghen at the heart of the backline. Twice now in the absence of compatriot Toby Alderweireld over the last two seasons, the former Ajax man has excelled. Supporters may have feared the worst when Alderweireld pulled up with a hamstring injury against Real Madrid, yet Vertonghen’s mature performances ensured his absence wasn’t a detriment to Spurs’ quest for a top-4 finish. 

A return of 68.3 passes per game is the sixth best of centre-backs in the Premier League this season and his highest in a Spurs shirt. It’s coincided with a return of 4.3 clearances per league match, his lowest since his move to the Premier League in 2012, with Vertonghen adopting the required measured approach that allows Spurs to build attacks from defence. 

On top of that, once he gains a head of steam, he is incredibly tough to shake off the ball. Of defenders to attempt 25 or more dribbles in the Premier League this season, only Harry Maguire (8.29%) has a better success rate than Vertonghen (80%) to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’. On a number of occasions, Spurs fans have witnessed Vertonghen stride forward from the back to help push the team upfield and apply pressure to opponents as the team quickly transitions from defence to attack. When on song, it’s a sight to behold! 

He’ll have his hands full on Saturday when Spurs welcome Arsenal to Wembley, that’s for sure. The well-rested Gunners will be brimming with confidence after a 5-1 win over Everton last week, the victory marking fine home debuts for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with the latter providing the assist for the former’s first goal in an Arsenal shirt. Vertonghen has proven time and time again that he can handle the best on offer, however, and Saturday should be no different for the experienced Belgium international, who’ll be out to reinforce his credentials as one of the finest centre-backs on the continent in the upcoming North London Derby.