According to reports from Mirror Football this morning, Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City are both running the rule over Southampton defender Toby Alderweireld.
The Belgium international arrived at St. Mary’s last summer in a loan deal from Atletico Madrid, after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by during a La Liga title-winning 2013/14 campaign at Vincente Calderon.
He’s since gone on to become a regular member of a Saints defence boasting the second-healthiest goals conceded column and the second-most clean sheets in the Premier League – which has reportedly attracted interest from some of the division’s top clubs.
Southampton maintain the right to activate a £6.8million clause that would see the 26 year-old join the south coast outfit permanently. But Atletico can exonerate that clause for just £1.5million, which would then allow them to sell Alderweireld to the highest bidder – a scenario that’s becoming increasingly likely.
Mirror Football claim Tottenham Hotspur are trying to leverage their way to the front of the pack in a bid to link Alderweireld up with Jan Vertonghen, who proved a very effective centre-back partnership together during their years at Ajax.
But the Lilywhites could soon find their interest eclipsed by Chelsea and Manchester City, who view the versatile defender – well-schooled in the roles of right-back, centre-back and defensive midfield – as the perfect candidate to add depth to their respective squads.