Tottenham to trigger Ben Davies contract clause as longest-serving player extends stay

Evening Standard

·27 November 2024

Tottenham to trigger Ben Davies contract clause as longest-serving player extends stay

The defender is Spurs’ longest-serving player having joined in 2014

Tottenham will trigger an option to extend Ben Davies' contract by 12 months to keep the veteran defender at the club next season.

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Davies' current deal expires at the end of this term but Spurs have the option to tie him down for a further year, which they intend to take up.

The 31-year-old is Spurs' longest-serving player, having joined the club as Mauricio Pochettino's first signing in the summer of 2014.

The Wales captain made his first Premier League start of the season in Saturday's 4-0 win at Manchester City, with head coach Ange Postecoglou describing him as "outstanding". His other five starts this term have come in Europa League and domestic cups.

Asked ahead of Tottenham's Europa League game against AS Roma if Davies was underappreciated in the wider game, Postecoglou said: "I doubt anyone who has any sort of real passion for this football club or real passion for football wouldn't say that he'd be very highly respected within or outside of this football club.

"He's captain of his country. Testament to his ability is the fact that a number of coaches at this football club have all trusted him at different times.

"Whether that's my opinion or Jose [Mourinho], Antonio [Conte] or Mauricio or anyone else he's been managed by.

"I don't think there's any doubt that Ben's well-respected within the game. And he's still performing at a very good level. With us, he's really grown into that defensive role of playing centre-back. At the weekend, him and Radu [Dragusin] were outstanding."

With Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero still sidelined, Davies is expected to keep his place at centre-back against Roma in north London on Thursday.

Spurs will also trigger a 12-month extension to keep Heung-min Son at the club, provided the South Korean does not sign a longer-term contract extension in the meantime.

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