Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld is being linked with Chelsea.
According to The Mirror, Chelsea have now joined the battle for Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld as confusion surrounds his future with the club.
Alderweireld, 28, has starred for Spurs since his 2015 move from Atletico Madrid, which came after an impressive loan spell with Southampton during the 2014-15 campaign.
The centre back rekindled his partnership with ex-Ajax and current Belgium international teammate Jan Vertonghen in the heart of the Spurs defence, and he has become arguably one of Europe’s top centre backs during his time under Mauricio Pochettino.
However, Alderweireld hasn’t signed a new contract with Spurs, and given that he has a £25million release clause which can be activated in 2019, Chelsea are now thought to be joining Manchester United in the race to land him this summer, as they attempt to persuade Spurs into selling.
Tottenham’s worst nightmare
Spurs certainly won’t want to lose Alderweireld at all this summer, and losing him to London rivals Chelsea would be something akin to Tottenham’s worst possible nightmare.
Losing him to Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona would be a blow, but at least a direct Premier League rival wouldn’t be strengthened, whilst being tempted into selling Alderweireld to Chelsea would be particularly galling.
Relations between the two clubs have been somewhat strained in recent years as the rivalry has grown and grown, and Spurs fans would almost certainly be left dismayed if Alderweireld was sold to Chelsea.
The Blues may offload David Luiz this summer, whilst Andreas Christensen has committed errors of late, meaning Belgian star Alderweireld may be eyed up as a player to solidify their back line – but Spurs must resist any temptation to sell to Chelsea, or risk a fan backlash.
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