3. Lock up Toby Alderweireld
Quite a few pundits were “certain” Alderweireld would be playing his home matches at Old Trafford by now. As it stands, he’s been a key member of Pochettino’s squad for most of the season. It’s imperative that Spurs clarify his future before the summer transfer window arrives.
After all, the looming presence of a £25 million release clause in his contract next summer will cause European powers to circle North London all season long. That’s a circus that Tottenham need to avoid to keep the entire squad focused on the task at hand.
Of course, signing Alderweireld to a new contract isn’t as simple as fans would like to believe. Firstly, no one knows exactly what sort of wage packet the Belgian defender is demanding. There’s a massive difference in paying him £100,000 or £300,000 per week. Alderweireld must be realistic with his demands.
Remember, whatever Tottenham choose to pay Alderweireld is going to send ripples throughout the squad. Players like Jan Vertonghen, Juan Foyth and Davinson Sanchez will be paying very close attention to his contract negotiations. They will want to earn something close to what Alderweireld receives if they are able to secure the spot next to him in Pochettino’s starting XI. It’s a difficult problem for Levy to solve, but he needs to find a way to keep Alderweireld in the fold for several more years.