Jan Vertonghen has agreed a new contract in principle with Tottenham Hotspur but the defender is stalling on signing, sources have told ESPN FC.
Vertonghen, 29, has two years remaining on the four-plus-two deal he signed when he joined Spurs from Ajax in 2012 and he has been in talks with the club over an extension since the beginning of this year.
The sources said Vertonghen was due to sign along with several of his teammates last month but he is yet to do so, possibly because he had a frank exchange of views with manager Mauricio Pochettino after the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Monaco last month, in which he was uncharacteristically sloppy.
Pochettino accused his players of lacking "passion" after the game but Vertonghen has started every match in the Premier League and Champions League since, suggesting there is no serious issue with his manager.
The sources were confident Vertonghen, who likes living in London and is particularly proud of his partnership with Belgium teammate Toby Alderweireld, has no plans to leave the club and will sign soon.
In September 2014, shortly after Pochettino's appointment, Vertonghen abandoned talks over a new contract, refusing to explain why but insisting he was "very happy" at Tottenham.
Eight Spurs players, including Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Eric Dier, signed new longterm contracts before the international break but, asked about deals for Vertonghen and Erik Lamela on Thursday, Pochettino said: "There's no news.
"You know I'm very honest. How many times have I said 'next week'? Now it's all calm, all quiet."