Jermaine Jenas analyses Toby Alderweireld’s contract situation at Spurs.
Former Tottenham Hotspur player and a club hero, Jermaine Jenas, says that Spurs are “running the risk of losing” Belgian centre-half Toby Alderweireld, who has two years left on his contract.
The 28-year-old defender is currently on around £50,000-a-week, according to The Mirror, and wants parity with club’s top earners like Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris.
Alderweireld has two years left to run on his current deal and Spurs have an option to extend it by another 12 months till 2020.
The Belgian international is arguably one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and Jenas believes that every top club in the world would like to have him in their squad.
Jenas adds that if Spurs offer him a long-term contract that will be “as good a signing as they could make”, but in order to do so they first need to increase his wages.
Alderweireld is yet to sign a new deal at the club, and the more he gets closer to the end of his contract, the more power he’ll have to force through a move or demand a better deal.
“Spurs are running the risk of losing Belgium centre-half Toby Alderweireld, who has got two years left on his contract and is probably on about £50,000 a week,” said Jenas on Match of the Day analysis.
“If they could re-sign him this summer, and have him happy and on a long-term contract, that is as good a signing as they could make – but they are going to have to give him a big pay increase for that to happen.
“As things stand, he has not signed and is not going to be in any rush to change that because the closer he gets to the end of his deal, the more power he will have. Every top club in the world will be circling around him.
“If Alderweireld leaves, then Spurs are going to have to go and buy someone who they have to try to build up again to be at his level. For me, that is a backwards step.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
