Toby Alderweireld may be a better player than Anthony Martial, but the French attacker would be worth more to Tottenham next season and beyond.
Selling Toby Alderweireld to Manchester United would be a very tough pill for Tottenham fans to swallow. Getting Anthony Martial in return would only serve to placate some fans. That’s an irrational opinion though. Martial holds more value for Spurs moving forward.
If you remove the emotion from the transaction, it looks like a clear win for Mauricio Pochettino and company. Acquiring a potential world-class attacker with Premier League experience at the age of 22 is generally out of Tottenham’s reach. Alderweireld is an excellent central defender, but he’s already 29.
Very simply, Martial is just entering his prime while Alderweireld is at the tail end of his. That, in and of itself, is enough to swing this potential deal in Tottenham’s direction. Of course, there are even more points to make in favour of Martial.
My understanding is that #MUFC made contact with #THFC regarding Toby Alderweireld a few months ago. Spurs said they would only deal if Anthony Martial was included in any transfer.
— The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) May 21, 2018
Much resistance from both sides at the start, now seem to be warming to the idea. #COYS
Another clear transfer market fact is that attacking players are worth more money than defenders. Virgil van Dijk may have gone for £75 million this season, but there are a host of attacking players who will smash that figure this summer. It’s not impossible to think that Martial could earn United a fee north of that number on the open market.
The last, and perhaps most intriguing aspect of this deal from Tottenham’s perspective is the idea that Martial has been misused by Jose Mourinho. The starlet and his manager clearly don’t get along. Even when Martial was playing good football he was frequently jerked in and out of Mourinho’s starting XI.
It’s very possible, in fact it’s overwhelmingly likely that Martial would enjoy life under Pochettino much more. The sheer absence of Mourinho looking over his shoulder could allow Martial to express himself like never before.
If that were to happen, Tottenham would finally have an attacker who could rival Harry Kane’s talent as a goal scorer. More importantly, Spurs would have a winger capable of providing real width when playing alongside the English striker. The fact that Martial would also serve as the club’s second choice striker only adds to the merits of signing him.
Next: Tottenham want to move starlet forward
Losing Toby Alderweireld isn’t something any Spurs fan wants to consider, but they should change their tune if it brings Anthony Martial to North London. He’s just the sort of transcendent offensive talent that can bring silverware to Tottenham.