Tottenham are likely to imminently open contract talks with defender Toby Alderweireld, according to a reliable journalist.
Football.London Spurs writer Alasdair Gold claimed in a question-and-answer session on Monday that the Premier League club are expected to soon start to thrash out a new deal with the highly rated enforcer.
Alderweireld, 28, is contracted to Tottenham until the summer of 2019, but the club can take up an option to extend his deal by 12 months until the summer of 2020.
His agent Stijn Francis has raised the possibility of a transfer by stating the extensive interest in the Belgian enforcer.
Asked if the Belgium international will commit to fresh terms, Gold replied: “At the moment it doesn’t appear that the club or the player are in negotiations over a new deal. The Belgian still has two years left on his present deal and an option the club can activate for a third year, so he’s signed up to 2020.
“He and [Erik] Lamela are the only first teamers not to have had a new deal in the past year or so. You’d expect them to sit down soon but there doesn’t seem to be any rush from either side to make it happen any time soon.”
OPINION
Alderweireld’s status as one of the Premier League’s outstanding centre-backs is unquestionable. Indeed, many White Hart Lane regulars have gone so far as to say he is head and shoulders above every other defender to represent the club in the last 30 years – and that includes the hallowed Ledley King. Sure, Alderweireld’s agent has recently made threats about the top-level interest in his client that will put the frighteners up many Spurs fans. But that is part of the negotiating game that chairman Daniel Levy navigates with more surety than most. What is for sure, Alderweireld is irreplaceable and Levy must push the boat out to ensure he stays, even if that means making him their best-paid player ahead of Harry Kane.