Spurs spending thrills Vertonghen
Jan Vertonghen is convinced that Tottenham have a much better chance of beating Arsenal to a top-four place in the Barclays Premier League this season despite the impending departure of Gareth Bale.
After over two months of negotiation, speculation and controversy, Bale is closing on his world-record move to Real Madrid.
Tottenham fans reacted with fear when it emerged that Real's interest in the player was serious earlier this summer, but a recruitment drive has been so successful this summer that they are no longer perturbed about losing the man who scored 26 times for the club last term.
A quick look at the new arrivals board at White Hart Lane shows why the club are so confident of success in the post-Bale era.
Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue and Paulinho are all regular faces in their respective national squads while in Erik Lamela, Spurs have signed one of the brightest prospects in world football.
Vertonghen, who moved to Spurs from Ajax last summer, has no doubt that other clubs will have taken note of Tottenham's ambition following their spending spree.
"I think it sends a message to everybody, to all the top four, that we want to be up there and they have to look at us as well and where we are going to be," Vertonghen said.
"Other teams are looking at us. There is a lot of interest in us.
"There's a lot of competition and the quality of the players is very high here. They have just so much power. I think we have a strong team anyway, whatever happens (with Bale).
"We have bought some very good players and it is always good to have different players who can score."
Source : http://www.football.co.uk/tottenham_hotspur/spurs_spending_thrills_vertonghen_rss4388842.shtml
