What does the future hold for Toby Alderweireld at Tottenham.
Toby Alderweireld cuts two different figures at Tottenham. On the pitch he is passionate, top class, and looks like he cares about the club like he grew up supporting them.
Off it, there is little active sign of commitment beyond his PR-managed Twitter feed. There has been no progress over a new contract, which is deeply concerning to the development of the team.
At one point in the summer it appeared he would be sold, but Tottenham hung on. If Spurs had been eliminated from the Champions League they might have been forced to consider cashing in on him in January, but this would be foolish now they are into the last 16.
The reason a January sale would have been an option is because of the looming clause in his contract next summer.
The Mail report Alderweireld can be bought for just £25 million in the summer transfer window. It’s an absolute bargain for buying clubs, and a poor value for Tottenham to sell him for.
Last summer there were questions over whether Alderweireld was still worth top money, after he was dropped for the second half of the campaign.
This season he has come roaring back, starring in the Champions League and showing he is up there with the very best centre-backs in Europe.
Financially it is still Tottenham’s best play to sell Alderweireld in January, but the problem is it would weaken the team.
One option would be to sell up and then splash the cash on a replacement, but it is tough to do so in January.
At this stage it seems Spurs are likely to hold their hand and let the situation play out, and attempt to address the contract situation after the transfer window.
It’s a big financial gamble by Daniel Levy, a chairman who rarely loses in the transfer market.
Willingly leaving his star man at the mercy of a knockdown release clause could be the biggest gamble he has overseen yet on a player.
