A whole host of European elites including Real Madrid are eyeing a move for Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive shield, Toby Alderweireld. The 28-year-old has not extended his contract beyond the summer of 2019, even though his current deal can be prolonged for another year. If the option is exercised by Tottenham Hotspur, a £25m release clause will be activated in June 2019. Tottenham are worried about losing him either for free or on the cheap and they might be forced to let him go next summer to prevent a significant loss.
Alderweireld was left out of the North London derby against Arsenal last weekend due to fitness concerns. The 28-year-old was fielded in the previous mid-week FA Cup tie against Newport County along with Danny Rose. The former Atletico Madrid player will be left at home while the rest of his teammates will be travelling to Turin for their round of 16 Champions League fixture against Juventus.
Rose was less than happy to be left out of the fixture against Arsenal and one can only imagine how Alderweireld must be feeling after hearing Mauricio Pochettino’s team selection for next game. The Argentine manager always demands the very best from all of his players and rewards them equally with game time when they do so.
The Belgian international missed almost three months of football action with a hamstring injury before playing the entire 90 minutes against Newport. His fitness has been a huge cause for concern in recent times as the centre-half often fails to a stay healthy for an entire season.
The current Spurs lineup features Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez in the centre-back role and the duo has looked impressive in recent times. Pochettino elected to go with the 4-back formation against the Gunners last Saturday and it is likely that he will field the same team against Juventus. The Vertonghen-Sanchez partnership has looked solid over the season and this has put Alderweireld in a tough spot.
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup coming up fast, missing out on such important fixtures will not sit well with Alderweireld. His release clause of £25 is more than ideal for the Galacticos who need a second option behind an ageing Sergio Ramos.
Zidane does have Raphael Varane, Jesus Vallejo and Nacho as the other options but picking up an experienced defensive ace like Alderweireld will help stiffen up that vulnerable backline. We will have to wait and see if Tottenham does manage to sign the Belgian to an extension or they might be forced to sell him after the season.
