OPINION
No wonder Tottenham said no to Toby Alderweireld’s contract demands.
The Times claim today the Belgium international was seeking a new deal worth an eyewatering £150,000-a-week before talks with chairman Daniel Levy hit the skids at the start of the year.
Such a deal would have been triple Alderweireld’s current £50,000-a-week deal (source: Guardian), which is due to expire next summer.
It would also have catapulted Alderweireld into the top bracket of earners at Spurs alongside Harry Kane, who the Times report earns a basic £150,000-a-week.
The 86-times international is a fine defender and one of the best in his position in the Premier League, particularly in the right-sided centre-back position rather than the left-sided one in which he has been used during Jan Vertonghen’s absence through injury.
But he is nowhere near as important or valuable as Kane, the England and Spurs talisman and goal king who appears hell bent on creating Premier League goalscoring history in a white jersey.
Levy was right to refuse to sanction such a lavish salary for a defender who turns 30 next March and who does not appear quite the player he was during his 2015-2017 peak.
With Davinson Sanchez an obvious successor, Eric Dier an able if less gifted deputy and rising star Juan Foyth showing encouraging signs, Spurs have strong internal options at centre-back.
None of those three are quite at the level of Alderweireld and Vertonghen, although they eventually could be.
Spurs fans are desperate for their club to keep hold of Alderweireld, and there was much fist-pumping when Manchester United’s pursuit fell flat over the summer.
But the club are reasonably well protected as the player’s contract has a one-year extension option, which is scheduled to activate in the summer of 2019 and would see him contracted until 2020. It also features a £25million release clause, but that at least provides a safety net.
Levy has been pilloried for his stance, but history will show he was right to buckle to Alderweireld’s demands.