If Toby Alderweireld leaves, can Tottenham replace him?
By Chuck Booth
Toby Alderweireld’s ongoing contract dispute with Tottenham has raised concerns his future may not be in north London.
After failing to make the 18 for the north London derby on Saturday, Toby Alderwerield has been left out of the squad as Tottenham travel to Juventus for the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday. Given he declared himself fit for both games, his omission raises questions about the central defender’s future ahead of the biggest game of Spurs’ season.
Although Alderweireld has only made 10 appearances in the Premier League for Tottenham this year due to injury, the team kept five clean sheets during that time. This is compared to only seven clean sheets in 17 games without him.
Tottenham have depth at center-back thanks to the additions of Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth, along with the versatility of Eric Dier, but losing a world-class defender like Alderweireld is far from ideal. The partnership of Alderweireld and Jan Vertongen is one of the best in the Premier League, if not Europe, and allowed the fewest goals in the league last season.
With Alderweireld in the lineup, Mauricio Pochettino has the flexibility to play three at the back or a traditional four-man back line depending on the opposition. Alderweireld’s current deal runs until 2019 with an optional extension for 2020, but using that extension would open the risk of Tottenham losing Alderweireld for £25 million, much less than he’s worth on the open market.
Because of this, Alderweireld is among the names Tottenham need to lock down ahead of a pivotal summer. While Champions League success and qualification are the club’s priorities, the big picture could be a little murky if the big clubs come knocking. Alderweireld, Harry Kane and Danny Rose are among those who need to get their contracts sorted out while Dele Alli and Heung-min Son will likely attract offers due to their age and performance.
As Tottenham try to shed the “selling club” label ahead of moving into the new White Hart Lane, how they handle this summer is very important. If the team is expecting to compete in Champions League year in and year out, having four above average center-backs is extremely important.
Still, Tottenham have shown this season they can survive without Alderweireld. Indeed, his direct replacement, Sanchez, is already on the roster. After getting his feet wet in the Premier League alongside Alderweireld and Vertonghen, the former Ajax man has been coming into his own.
Still, the back line will be an injury away from being stretched beyond its means in multiple competitions. Foyth will need to prove himself in cup games and while Cameron Carter-Vickers looks like a good prospect, it isn’t clear he has a future at Tottenham.
If the saga isn’t solved by the summer, it would make sense to move on from Alderweireld and target someone like José Giménez of Atletico Madrid. Giménez is a young central defender with a bright future which is well in line with the standard Tottenham transfer policy. While no one person can replace Alderweireld, using possible transfer fees to flesh out the rest of the team could go a long way to vaulting them to the next level.
Next: Ranking every Premier League season
While this is a pivotal summer for Tottenham, they can cash in on Alderweireld and not step back too much. In the short-term, a strong performance against one of Europe’s true elite will go a long way to showing the world Spurs can be a major player with or without their star center-back.