Tottenham must refuse to sell Toby Alderweireld, even if it means letting his contract run down to the very end.
Tottenham Hotspur are in a bit of a quandry over Toby Alderweireld’s contract situation.
The Belgian’s deal expires in 2019, but he is yet to commit to a new deal and reports claim the club are refusing to meet his wage demands.
This would be a major mistake, as rivals Arsenal once found out when they cashed in on Robin van Persie instead of losing him on a free – and watched him immediately fire Manchester United to the title.
Arsenal learned their lesson, not only did they miss out on Van Persie for a year, but they managed to enrage their supporters in the process.
The Gunners have re-thought their approach, and faced with similar situations over Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez they have dug in.
Arsenal have accepted they may lose both for free next summer, but they have hung onto them regardless, buying more time to still potentially change their minds.
Spurs would score a major own goal if they sell Alderweireld, especially to a rival, and adopting Arsenal’s tough approach is the right move for chairman Daniel Levy.
The Belgian is a key player for Spurs, proven by their struggles in his recent absence.
If the two parties are apart in their negotiations that’s one thing, but Tottenham must make him see out the contract he did sign, and get maximum benefit from it.
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