It has taken a while but Toby Alderweireld appears back to something like his best, which, in a perverse way, gives Tottenham a problem. Every rival knows he has a £25million release clause in a contract expiring in 2020.
And for someone of his ability and experience, £25m is a pittance. No wonder top clubs have been linked with a summer swoop for the Belgian. So what do Spurs do? Try to persuade him to stay with a new deal or let him go, possibly to a direct rival? Alternatively, bank on the likes of the unproven Juan Foyth filling the gap? It’s a key decision on which Mauricio Pochettino will doubtless have a say.
At 30, Alderweireld has a few good years left in him. A cute reader of the game, tenacious in the tackle with a great passing range, he is up there with the best. Pochettino will hate handing such talent to an adversary.
