Tottenham need to restart contract talks with Toby Alderweireld

Tottenham are not going to sell Toby Alderweireld this month. Instead, it’s time for Spurs to lock him down for the long haul.

The fact that Toby Alderweireld is set to stay at Spurs for the 2018/19 season is a good thing for Tottenham. It’s time for the club to take things with the Belgian defender from good to great. That means Daniel Levy needs to find a way to re-sign Alderweireld to a new contract that will keep him in North London for years to come.

Credit goes to Mauricio Pochettino for handing the centre back a clean slate. Other managers would have refused to give a player they’d clashed with the previous season a way into the current team. Instead the Argentine gaffer gave Alderweireld a new start against Fulham. The talented defender repaid his manager’s faith with a solid performance against the Whites.

Even after that match, there was still an undercurrent of belief that Alderweireld still could be sold to a European league where the transfer market is still open. Recent reports from the English media claim that isn’t the case. Tottenham have now decided to keep him in the squad for the foreseeable future.

Now the club need to take things a step forward. If they continue to let Alderweireld’s contract run down they will lose him for just £25 million this summer. That would be a poor decision by Levy and company. Not only would it represent a poor financial deal, it would also cost Pochettino a world-class defender.

The key will be finding a wage number that works for both parties. If Alderweireld and his representatives want him to become the highest paid player at the club then Spurs will have no choice but to let him go. Alderweireld is a great player, but he’s not as valuable as Harry Kane or Dele Alli. Paying him more than either attacker would be a foolish choice by Levy.

However, if he is willing to come in at a slightly lower number, Tottenham should jump all over it. It’s true that Alderweireld will be 30-years-old when he starts next season, but that shouldn’t be an issue for a centre back who is so reliant on skill. He’s the sort of player who should easily perform at a high level for several more seasons.

Alderweireld may have been close to leaving Tottenham this summer, but Spurs have a chance to mend fences now. They need to move quickly to secure the talented defender for years to come. He’s an integral part of the club’s quest to win silverware.