Tottenham expected to find common ground with Toby Alderweireld

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: Belgian team mates Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea and Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur shake hands during The Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on April 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: Belgian team mates Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea and Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur shake hands during The Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on April 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Tottenham are close to the centre back’s asking price

Many Tottenham fans were sent into a panic this week after learning that Toby Alderweireld isn’t poised to sign new contract. The good news for Spurs is that the two sides just aren’t that far apart when it comes to compensation for the world-class defender.

Reports from England claim that Alderweireld is holding out for £110 thousand per week. That level of compensation would put him alongside Harry Kane as the club’s top earner. Daniel Levy and company are hesitant to ink the Belgian to any agreement that exceeds the magical £100 thousand per week barrier.

When you realize just how small the compensation difference is, it’s easy to see why Tottenham have every reason to be optimistic. Even better from the Spurs perspective, is the fact that the club don’t need to be in any rush to tie Alderweireld down. His current deal with the club runs through 2020.

Of course, neither side wants to see the process drag out. Alderweireld and his representatives want his future sorted out this summer. Tottenham will be happy to make that happen as long as the financial terms of the deal are acceptable.

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The smart money’s on Mauricio Pochettino to intervene and make sure that negotiations don’t drag on too long. Levy might not understand the potential damage of tense contract talks, but Pochettino certainly does. Bet on him to use his charisma to get these two sides together on a new deal soon.

Once Alderweireld’s future is sorted, it will leave Kyle Walker as the biggest question mark for Spurs heading into the summer. He, like Alderweireld, is also being strongly linked with other clubs such as Manchester City. Unfortunately for fans of the athletic right back, his wage demands may actually exceed what Alderweireld wants to earn.

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Negative journalists will continue to link Toby Alderweireld with a move away from Tottenham until he signs a new contract with the club. After all, that’s a sexier story than the truth. The truth is that Alderweireld and Spurs are too close to an agreement to envision one not getting done.