Tottenham are ready to drop Davinson Sanchez for Toby Alderweireld

European powers hoping to sign Toby Alderweireld away from Tottenham are set to be disappointed. He’s headed back into the Spurs starting XI.

Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to start Toby Alderweireld alongside Davinson Sanchez against Fulham thrilled Spurs supporters. His decision to take Sanchez off the field instead of Alderweireld in the second half should tell Tottenham fans quite a lot.

Chiefly, it should communicate the reality that Alderweireld is set to return to the club’s starting XI. The real question now is whether or not Pochettino will stick with three at the back or go with four. Given the way the team performed against the Whites, expect to go with two central defenders against Manchester United.

In some ways, it was a bit surprising that Pochettino elected to sacrifice Sanchez to insert Dembele into the midfield. The tactical switch was certainly needed, but it wouldn’t have shocked anyone to see Alderweireld come off instead. He and Pochettino have certainly had their issues over the last several months.

With that being said, removing Sanchez was absolutely the right choice based on how the two defenders were playing. The Colombian was all over the place against a pretty ordinary Fulham attack. Every time a ball was played over the top he rushed forward to head it, but he never made solid contact. That led to quite a few nervy situations for the Spurs defence.

Alderweireld, in sharp contrast, played a very solid match. He didn’t make any highlight plays, but he didn’t put a foot wrong either. Anytime the Whites’ attack tried to come at him he calmly shepherded the ball out of trouble. It was just the sort of defensive display Tottenham fans got used to seeing from Alderweireld two seasons ago.

The Belgian is clearly the superior offensive player of the two. Sanchez is capable of making simple passes forward, but Alderweireld can unlock an opposing team’s defence with his brilliant long passes. His diagonals weren’t on display against Fulham, but he did help Kieran Trippier get free down the right flank on multiple occasions. Pochettino will want to see that dimension from his back line against United’s stingy defence.

It’s possible that Sanchez and Alderweireld could both start again, but look for Pochettino to go with a strong midfield instead. At any rate, other clubs hoping to buy Alderweireld this month can forget about it. The talented defender is back in his manager’s good graces.