Homesick Vertonghen could leave Spurs, says mother

Jan Vertonghen is pining for home comforts and could leave Tottenham Hotspur as a result, according to his mother.

The Belgian has forged the Premier League's tightest defence with compatriot Toby Alderweireld over the past year-and-a-half, but could apparently be seeking a route back to Amsterdam, his girlfriend's hometown and where he previously played for Ajax, or his native land.

Vertonghen, 29, only extended his contract with Spurs until 2019 earlier in December.

"Jan is starting to miss home. I see him coming back soon - we will see," Vertonghen's mother, Ria Mattheeuws, told Studio Brussel, with translation from ESPN FC's Dan Kilpatrick. "Home could also mean Amsterdam. His girlfriend is from there."

Shortly after inking fresh terms, Vertonghen conceded that he otherwise has few ties in north London - making it "very hard" to see out his playing days there - and his lack of close friendships at Tottenham means his potential exit wouldn't exactly spark a raucous leaving party.

"In more than 10 years, I've formed three real friendships. Mousa Dembele, for example. We've known each other since we were 12, our wives are from Amsterdam, he lives in London and we both have a kid," he recently shared with Sport/Foot, as translated by SportWitness' Tom Coast.

"I get along well with at least 10 guys at Tottenham, but if I were to leave tomorrow, I'd get a text and that's it. Just like at Ajax. It's mostly at school that you make friends."

Vertonghen said that despite being in an engrossing battle for the Premier League title with Leicester City for much of last season, he never felt close to collecting a winners medal in May.

"We played in the Champions League, which was our club's objective," he said, referring to Spurs' group stage elimination this term. "That campaign was eclipsed by the failure to win the title, but I never felt like we were really close to it. We were never in the lead."

Tottenham ends the year by travelling to Southampton for a meeting Dec. 28.