Tottenham Transfer News: Breaking Down Spurs Signing Jan Vertonghen

Not since 2008, when the club brought on such high-profile players as Luka Modric, David Bentley and Roman Pavlyuchenko, has Tottenham been linked with more rumors of incoming players during the summer transfer window.

Already the club has re-signed star winger Gareth Bale, hoodwinked Liverpool for attacking midfielder Gylfi Siggurdsson and—as ESPN Soccernet reported today—worked out a deal for star centre-back Jan Vertonghen to play at White Hart Lane.

In just his first week of service as Spurs' new manager, Andre Villas-Boas has uprooted nearly one-third of last year's roster and there's still five weeks to go until the season opener.

The 25-year-old Vertonghen represents just the latest in Tottenham's spending spree. Centre-back is a position of great need, but will the former Ajax defender live up to expectations?

Join me as I examine Spurs' latest signing and answer the questions surrounding Jan Vertonghen's arrival to the north London club.

Is He Spurs' Savior at Centre-Back?

I think it's safe to say that Ledley King's days in the starting lineup are over.

Surely, King will provide a superb reserve centre-back for non-league fixtures, but Vertonghen will be partnering with Younes Kaboul for the majority of next season.

Can Vertonghen live up to what Tottenham's needs in the center of the defense?

Absolutely.

Vertonghen's intelligent, good in the air and is a highly technical player both in tackles and long balls. If he merely performs to the skill he displayed at Ajax, he'll be more than capable at saving Spurs' centre-back problems.

Will He Fit Villas-Boas' Tactics?

If Andre Villas-Boas gets his way, he'll be putting out a 4-3-3 formation nine out of 10 times.

However, because Tottenham has two true wingers in Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon and only one true forward in Jermain Defoe, there will definitely be some experimentation as far as tactics go next season.

Villas-Boas loves the 4-3-3 and the frequency it'll be used will depend on Vertonghen's quality in answer to the following question....

Can He Support Midfield?

If Vertonghen can keep up pace and Kaboul can stay in position and out of trouble, I see no reason why the former Ajax man can't cheat up and support the midfield regularly.

The new centre-back is already inclined towards attack. If the midfield can lessen its vulnerability to counterattacks from opponents, let him tear it up in Spurs' half of the pitch.

When Will He Start?

Immediately.

You don't go through months of contract negotiation talks with a player you're not putting on the pitch right away.

Vertonghen not only plays centre-back, a position of great need for Tottenham, but he was signed for a whopping £9 million, according to ESPN.

He'll play right away next season and I predict he'll be part of the first Spurs team since 2006 that concedes 38 goals or less.