Toby Alderweireld’s uncertain future with Tottenham Hotspur seems to be headed towards the inevitable as reports claim that Mauricio Pochettino has given the Belgian the green light to leave.
His current contract will run until June 2019 and the Spurs have an option to extend it for one year. No talks of a new agreement have come out of the club ranks and the Belgian’s scarce selection for the starting XI in recent weeks might have caused serious unsettlement issues.
At 28, Alderweireld still has a lot of football left in him. His only curse is his injury history which has caused him to miss the majority of the current season.
The Spurs backline is currently thriving with Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen in the centre-back roles. Even Danny Rose has been dropped as a rotational option behind Ben Davies on the left-back position.
Pochettino is pushing the Tottenham team towards major honours and he will need able bodies to fill up the squad. However, it is pretty clear that Alderweireld does not want to feature as a secondary option and a transfer is imminent.
Here a few teams who could benefit from the 28-year-old’s signature.
Manchester United
Both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones might be sold off in the next transfer window and Mourinho is scouting for replacements. Eric Baily is a solid centre-half but his absence has cost the Red Devils on plenty of occasions this season.
Their bitter rivals, Manchester City have gotten the better of them in almost every competition other than the FA Cup. While Pep Guardiola has surged ahead with a star-stacked and high morale side, Mourinho has been left behind in the pack even after expending magnanimous amounts on player transfers.
Real Madrid
Zinedine 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.
The Galacticos are undergoing a difficult season in the domestic competitions and the times is prime for bolstering the squad ahead of the 2018/19 campaign. Alderweireld is an experienced ace who is adept at maintaining discipline and composure at the back.
Chelsea
The back-three formation under Antonio Conte has seen the Blues succeed against elite sides but it could do with a few improvements. Gary Cahil’s time at the Stamford Bridge might be closing in towards an end delving from his inconsistencies this season. David Luiz has also fallen out of favour with the manager and might be on his way out of the side next summer.
