Spurs fans were treated to the news yesterday that after the appointment of Jose Mourinho on Wednesday morning, contract rebels Toby Alderweireld, Toby Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen could be set to sign new deals with the club.
All three had been expected to depart the club in the summer when their current contracts expire, but according to the Daily Mirror (via Ricky Sacks), they may now be open to signing new deals with the club.
Eriksen, in particular, hasn’t exactly been at his best this season with an average rating of 6.57 in the Premier League, following a summer in which he made his intentions to leave the club very clear.
Both Alderweireld and Vertonghen, two Belgian centre-backs who have been at the heart of Spurs’ defence for several years now, were also expected to depart over the summer as former boss Mauricio Pochettino planned to overhaul the squad, but moves failed to materialise. And a recent report stated that all three were looking to run down their contracts at the club, prior to Pochettino’s departure.
However, it seems as if their problem was with Pochettino rather than the club itself, as it has now transpired that all three could sign new deals under Mourinho.
Reaction from Spurs fans to Eriksen, Vertonghen and Alderweireld possibly signing new deals can be seen in the tweets below.
Based on their play this season they don’t deserve new contracts. If their poor play is evidence that they gave up on the team so easily b/c of disagreement with the manager that helped make them great, then they don’t deserve new contracts.
— Brian (@allpplarereal) November 20, 2019
I’d honestly be extremely disappointed if we kept any of them
— Peter Smith (@92pds) November 20, 2019
they dont deserve new contracts tbh, they pretty much got poch the boot
— Alfie (@AlfieButler20) November 20, 2019
snakes, they got Poch sacked and now they are happy.
— Fiel (@MarceloFurlan5) November 20, 2019
Wouldn’t entertain it. Appalling attitude and performances.
— Ryan Harvey (@Blan_Neville7) November 21, 2019
Too bad they haven’t all played like they want to stay. No confidence. You do you’re best regardless of the circumstances.
— Karen (@kbstang24) November 21, 2019
Well I think they should just go. They’re a disgrace.
— AGS (@AGS10782043) November 20, 2019
These Spurs fans clearly feel that these players don’t deserve a new contract with the club after their actions under Pochettino, with many suggesting they were one of the main contributors in getting the Argentinian sacked.
What do we think?
While Christian Eriksen might have underperformed under Pochettino in recent weeks; averaging a 6.57 rating in the Premier League, as previously mentioned, if Mourinho can convince him to sign a new deal then he has the option of trying to get him back to his best or selling someone valued at £90 million in the future.
Alderweireld and Vertonghen are slightly trickier decisions, with both defenders now over 30, so Mourinho will have to consider whether their experience both domestically and internationally is worth keeping in the squad if they do indeed want to sign new contracts. Spurs fans are rightly angry that these players behaved in the way they did under Pochettino and perhaps Mourinho will agree and move them all on as soon as possible.