Toby Alderweireld is surplus to requirements at Tottenham

By Rucker Haringey | Mar 21, 2018

SWANSEA, WALES - MARCH 17: Toby Alderweireld of Spura arrives prior to The Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur at Liberty Stadium on March 17, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Tottenham can afford to sell Toby Alderweireld

Taking a quick spin through Tottenham’s social media following makes it very clear the Spurs fan base is dead set against selling Toby Alderweireld. While I’d prefer the club hold on to the world-class centre back, the simple truth is that parting with him this summer won’t significantly harm the club’s starting XI.

Reports from Belgian claim that Alderweireld can be had for a transfer fee of somewhere around £50 million this summer. At that price, you can expect heavyweights all over Europe to lodge bids with Daniel Levy. After all, we are talking about a world-class centre back.

The obvious question is that if Alderweireld is so good, how can Tottenham afford to sell him? The answer is alarmingly simple. If Pochettino continues to play four at the back as he has with tremendous success over the past few months, he only needs two starting centre backs. The club have Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez firmly under their control. Both men have formed a terrific partnership in Alderweireld’s injury absence this season.

In fairness, Alderweireld is the best of the three when he’s fully fit and firing. He makes the defensive side of the game look easy with his incredible ability to read the game. His skill on the ball looks more like an attacking midfielder than a centre back. It allows him to play a huge role in setting Tottenham’s attack up for success.

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You’ll note that Alderweireld is only the best of the three when he’s fully fit and firing. The unfortunate reality is that injuries have plagued him over the last two seasons. Even when he’s been in the lineup, his level of performance has lagged behind his countryman. Vertonghen has been Spurs’ most consistent defender over the last two seasons.

That leaves Alderweireld battling with Sanchez for a spot in Pochettino’s starting XI with four at the back. Alderweireld, at his best, has an advantage over the young Colombian at the current point in time. However, Sanchez is just 21-years-old. Alderweireld is 29. It’s easy to see which player has the brighter future ahead of him.

I fully understand the argument that a club of Tottenham’s calibre should have three top-notch centre backs to account for injury and squad rotation. That’s a nice thought from the Spurs point of view. It’s not such a nice thought for the centre back who finds himself on the bench for Tottenham’s most important matches. Keeping all three of his top-notch central defenders is not a practical possibility for Pochettino.

There’s also a reasonable argument to be made that Tottenham shouldn’t sell their brightest stars. That’s a flawed argument as well. No one (within reason) buried Liverpool for parting with Philippe Coutinho. When the price is right, there isn’t a club on Earth that won’t make a financially advantageous deal.

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Toby Alderweireld has been a great player for Tottenham, but if he’s sold this summer it won’t torpedo the club’s upward trajectory. Spurs will be left with two excellent centre backs and a boatload of transfer cash. If it’s reinvested wisely, it could become a net gain for Spurs.

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