Toby Alderweireld’s contract situation with the Tottenham Hotspur is raising concerns among the club ranks and transfer might be imminent. The Belgian’s contract is set to run till the summer of 2019 and an extension is being prepared by the Spurs which will activate a release clause of £25m, a meagre amount for a defender of his quality.
This is a problem for Mauricio Pochettino who has relied on the 28-year-old heavily to lead the defensive backline from the centre-back position. Alderweireld reunited with his former Ajax teammates, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen when he arrived in North London to sign with the club on a £11.4m transfer fee.
Drawing precious Premier League experience from his time with Southampton, Alderweireld became an instant hit with the Spurs who were just starting to resurrect their club status as a title contender and not just a mid-table side. The Belgian’s leadership has allowed youngsters like Davinson Sanchez, Kevin Trippier, Eric Dier to make the smooth transition into the first team and is one of the best players in the current Tottenham squad.
However, with a transfer now looking more and more likely, Pochettino will have to consider investing in a few players to replace him.
David Luiz
Luiz’s career is currently facing heavy speculation with the Brazilian falling out favour with Antonio Conte at Chelsea. He was dropped from the squad after a poor defensive display in a 0-3 loss to AS Roma, ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Manchester United in the Premier League.
After a long stint on the sidelines, he finally returned to the lineup in the side’s 0-0 draw to Norwich City in their FA Cup third round tie. Luiz who is now 30 might not be pleased with a rotational role and has openly expressed his intentions for a club exit by offering his services to Barcelona.
Leonardo Bonucci
Nobody can deny the exceptional talent that Bonucci really is and Spurs should snap up the opportunity to pry him away from AC Milan.The Rossoneri are looking nowhere near their best form in the recent times in the Europa League as well as domestic competitions placed at the 8th spot of the points table.
Bonucci arrived at the San Siro in a shock transfer for a reported fee of €42m and has so far failed to make an impact for the side this season. An experienced centre-back with heaps of European experience will be a perfect replacement in the young Spurs squad.
Jonny Evans
The former Manchester United defender has really impressed for West Brom this season and is one of the top targets of Arsenal and Manchester City. Even though Alan Pardew will be reluctant to let go of his club captain, Tottenham can make a swoop deal with an improved bid.
