The 28-year old Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld has been subjected to intense speculation with clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea rumoured to be gunning for the defender. Alderweireld’s current deal runs till for another two seasons but it is also no secret that the Belgian is seeking an improved contract.
The defender signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 on a four year deal with an option to extend it by another year for Tottenham. Spurs are unlikely to consider the extension for the defender since it would activate his £25m release clause as per his contract and club chairman Daniel Levy might want to sit down and negotiate a new improved contract for him negating the current release clause.
Since making his move from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015, he has gone on to become one of the top performers in the club. His ability to read the opposition’s game allows him to defend neatly without making unnecessary tackles. The stats clearly show the intelligence with which he approaches the games. Alderweireld averages just 0.3 fouls per 90 minutes, a sublime figure when you put it in comparison with the likes of Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and AC Milan’s Leonardo Bonucci who average at 0.88 and 0.93 fouls every 90 minutes.
The highly-intelligent Belgian committed only 9 fouls in 30 Premier League games last season, an astounding stat given that Chelsea ace David Luiz who enjoyed his best season at West London committed 29 fouls in the same time.
His game on the ball also is highly efficient and his ability to distribute the ball and rotate it in defence makes him a wanted player for many top clubs in Europe. He has natural leadership qualities and at the age of 28, he is only reaching his peak as a centre-back.
A player of his quality would walk straight into any line-up across Europe right now, including Chelsea’s. Although the Blues will have to deal with a problem of plenty, Alderweireld will be an upgrade on Gary Cahill who is ageing fast and looking more and more average with every passing game. What his welcome would do, however, is that it would slow down the development of Antonio Rudiger with Antonio Conte likely to put Alderweireld along with Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta at the heart of his defence, should the Belgian make the switch.
While getting an Alderweireld would be a major boost in the backline, Chelsea have bigger issues to deal with. The club is suffering from a serious shortage of players after a mass exodus in the summer and will need to bring in players in other positions to prevent a collapse. Maybe instead of chasing Alderweireld, that is what they should be focusing on for next season.
