Tottenham could face a test of their resolve to hold onto Jan Vertonghen in January with a £20m bid from Barcelona, according to reports in Spain today.
The Spanish champions have been monitoring the versatile Belgian for several months with coach Gerardo Martino earmarking him as the ideal choice to bolster the club's defensive ranks after failed moves for Daniel Agger, David Luiz and Thiago Silva.
The 26 year-old Belgian is unhappy at being played at left-back under Andre Villas-Boas and Barcelona hope to capitalise on the situation with a bid in January, according to Sport.
Vertonghen's eligibility to play in the Champions League and technical ability with the ball, honed during his time at Ajax, has made him an attractive candidate for the Spanish giants.
Martino has had to shuffle his team this season to cope with the loss of both Carlos Puyol and Javier Mascherano to injury.
The emergence of Marc Barta has helped alleviate a crisis but Martino remains keen on strengthening his options at the back in the winter transfer window.
