Ex-Tottenham director could prove to be the difference in Spurs player’s summer move

Among the many clubs interested in signing Jan Vertonghen on a free are AS Roma.

The Serie A side are preparing themselves for Chris Smalling to return to Manchester United since they cannot afford to pay Ed Woodward’s £20m asking price, meaning they need to find a replacement.

Earlier on Tuesday, we relayed information from Gazzetta dello Sport that Dejan Lovren was an option, but so is Vertonghen.

The Belgian has made it clear he would be interested in a new adventure abroad when his contract with Spurs expires, and a number of sides have come forward.

Napoli and Inter are two other Italian clubs to have come forward, providing a challenge for Roma, who may have a trump card up their sleeve.

That would be Franco Baldini, once a technical director at Tottenham and now an unofficial advisor to the Serie A side, and Corriere dello Sport suggest the 59-year-old, who knows Vertonghen from his time in London, could convince the Belgian to choose to move to Italy’s capital.

That’s about it, but it’s worth keeping in mind, since it’s often the little things that can end up making a difference.