Tottenham may be looking to offload Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld was a good player for Tottenham last season, but with only one year left on his contract, Spurs don’t see him as a piece of their future.

Tottenham fans are celebrating their club’s purchase of Tanguy Ndombele, but they may have to say goodbye to one of their favourite players in the coming days. It seems that Spurs are keen to find a club willing to take on Toby Alderweireld this summer instead of losing him next year to a free transfer.

According to The Guardian, Tottenham officials have engaged counterparts at Roma about a potential swap deal involving Alderweireld and Nicolo Zaniolo. In such a move, Spurs would be required to pay Roma an additional transfer fee to even the deal out. Alderweireld is available for a release clause of just £25 million while the Serie A club value Zaniolo at £40 million.

It’s a bit of surprise that more European clubs haven’t engaged Alderweireld in discussions about his future. On his day, he’s a world-class defender who can distribute the ball from the back with ruthless precision. He is getting up a bit in age, but it’s reasonable to believe he can still play at a high level for another four or five seasons.

Tottenham have attempted to engage his representatives about a contract renewal, but there isn’t any common ground between both parties. Alderweireld is certainly open to playing his contract out at Spurs next season, but Mauricio Pochettino and company may have other ideas.

Zaniolo is just the sort of young, attacking prospect that Tottenham usually look for in the transfer market. He may not be quite ready to make a huge impact in the Premier League, but he isn’t far away. After all, the 20-year-old did start 20 league matches for Roma last year. He’s far from the finished product, but his work rate and ability to find the back of the net are certainly of interest to Tottenham.

If Alderweireld does leave North London before next season, Tottenham won’t necessarily feel pressure to purchase a direct replacement. Both Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth are viewed as potential stars by Pochettino. There’s also a solid chance that Eric Dier will be moved back to centre back after a disappointing campaign in the midfield.

As the transfer window winds down, Tottenham fans should expect to see a lot of reports about Alderweireld’s future. Spurs would do well to get something in return for him while there’s still time. They shouldn’t give him away, but they have to be realistic about his value.