Arsenal are in shock as Jan Vertonghen has been given a VIP tour of Tottenham, The Sun reported in an exclusive.
Gunners were favourites to land Vertonghen who is a close pal of Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen.
Wenger wanted to complement Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker with the signing of Vertonghen, 24, who has been described as an elegant and technical ball-playing central defender who can play in other positions.
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He had been sending scouts to watch Vertonghen and was ready to complete a £7 million cut-price deal, as the player only has one year left on his contract.
But Harry Redknapp appears to have a pulled a rabbit out of his hat by beating Wenger and also Sir Alex Ferguson for the signature of the Ajax captain.
Vertonghen was snuck into White Hart Lane to watch the season finale against Fulham, before being shown around their new training ground, the report added.
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The £13 million-rated Belgian defender could replace Ledley King, who faces another knee op this week.
Spurs striker and former Ajax star Rafael van der Vaart appears to have influenced Vertonghen's decision.
Van der Vaart, who came through the ranks at the Amsterdam side just a few years before Vertonghen, said earlier: "I hope Jan comes to Tottenham. As far as I know the deal is close to being done."
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And the 29-year-old midfielder revealed in The Sun that the club had sought van der Vaart's advice over Vertonghen, who can play as a centre-back, a left-back or in midfield.
"Spurs asked me about him. If he’s sensible, he will opt to join us," he added.
Man United to steal Vertonghen from Arsenal
Sir Alex Ferguson is making a desperate move to prevent Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen from joining a rival Premier League club, according to the Mirror.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger remains hopeful of clinching a £7 million deal for the Belgian defender, while Tottenham are also making a frantic bid to secure his services.
Now, Manchester United boss Ferguson is also tracking the centre-half.
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Emirates is the fancied destination of Vertonghen who is a close pal of Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen.
Wenger has been sending scouts to watch Vertonghen and is ready to complete a cut-price deal, as the player only has one year left on his contract.
But the late interest from United and Tottenham is a concern to Arsenal, who want to complement Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
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Vertonghen admits he has a tough decision to make.
He said: “I have to make a choice. There’s something going on with Tottenham, but there are more clubs interested in signing me.
“The most important thing for me is that I get regular playing time. Plus I need a stable environment.
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“More and more clubs in England seem to realise that you can go a long way with ‘good football’.
"Arsenal started with it, and teams like Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester City are playing good football as well now.”
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