Arsenal Transfer News: Jan Vertonghen Reveals Gunners Snub

Jan Vertonghen has revealed he snubbed a move to Arsenal before choosing to sign for north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.

The Belgium international said both clubs were interested in signing him as he prepared to leave Eredivisie giants Ajax in 2012, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror:

"It was as close as it can get. My agent went to Arsenal, I wasn't there myself but it was very respectful and in the end I had to make a choice and I chose Spurs."

"I chose Spurs and I think it's turned out well. I felt I was joining a great team, with great plans and the personal chats I had with people at Spurs were great and I followed my instinct, my gut feeling and that's it."

Vertonghen justified his decision to knock back the Gunners by pointing to Spurs' progress over the past three seasons. The Lilywhites finished third in 2015/16 before ending the 2016/17 campaign as runners-up to Premier League champions Chelsea.

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Those finishes meant Spurs secured back-to-back qualifications for the UEFA Champions League. Last season was also the first time since 1994/95 Tottenham had finished ahead of their north London rivals, who tumbled to fifth and thus had to settle for a place in the UEFA Europa League.

However, the Gunners gained a consolation by winning a third FA Cup in four seasons. Spurs may have made some strides beyond Arsenal during Vertonghen's time in England, but the Gunners have been putting trophies on the table recently.

Vertonghen is aware of the need to end a trophy drought that dates back to 2008: "I am very, very confident we will win a trophy very soon. You want to win trophies. I want to play in a cup final. That's what happened at Ajax to be fair. We were a team with a lot of quality that was waiting for a few years for a trophy."

Vertonghen's views are in slight contrast to those espoused by his manager, Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian tactician recently described the pursuit of silverware as just one part of his job, per BBC Sport: "You need results to be sure that all the income will be at a level to start a process to build a new stadium, to attract players, to play Champions League."

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Ironically, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was heavily criticised for having similar views during a nine-year trophyless spell from 2005 until 2014. Wenger often had to juggle the financial demands of the debt incurred by the Gunners' move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 with the desire to lift trophies.

It's a quirk of fate Arsenal's manager may have found an ally in the form of his closest rival.

While Wenger has been successful in the FA Cup during recent years, he has yet to win a league title since 2003/04. What the Gunners have most often missed during these barren years is greater defensive resolve.

Vertonghen would have provided more stability, based on his effect on Tottenham's defence since 2012. The 30-year-old reads the game well, is useful in the air, quick across the deck and comfortable playing out from the back.

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Even a cursory look at the Arsenal squad shows Wenger's group lacks a defensive leader with those attributes.

Similarly, a glance at the league table will offer Vertonghen a greater sense of vindication after Tottenham moved seven points clear of the Gunners following a 1-0 win in Saturday's north London derby at Wembley Stadium.

Defensive issues are why Arsenal are sixth and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification for the second year running. The inability to sign defenders of Vertonghen's calibre is at the heart of their problems.