Tottenham sweat over Toby Alderweireld contract delay

An improved and extended new deal for Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld appears no closer to reality.

The Belgian international arrived at Tottenham in the summer of 2015, fresh off of a successful season on with with Southampton.

Since then Alderweireld has established himself as perhaps the best centre-back in England. Together with countryman Jan Vertonghen, he is in large part responsible for the dramatic progress Spurs have made in defense over the last two years.

Now, predictably, he wants to be compensated accordingly. According to the Evening Standard, Alderweireld would gladly sign a new contract with Spurs if his wages — currently rumored to be £50,000 a week — were doubled, thereby falling more in line with what club stars Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane make after their own improved contracts.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is notoriously wary of the club’s wage bill, though doesn’t appeal to qualm with compensating Alderweireld at the maximum permitted under the current self-imposed structure.

Where a new deal gets hung up though is a clause in the player’s current contract that stipulates a £25 million buy out should Spurs option to extend Alderweireld’s stay for one more year beyond the 2019 expiry date.

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Given the current market, that price for Alderweireld would represent an absolute steal — even if the player will be turning 30-years-old that year.

Mauricio Pochettino’s youth-oriented approach, plus the continuing maturation of both Eric Dier and youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers, might ease the pain of losing Alderweireld even before his prime is over. Like the deal for Kyle Walker earlier this summer though, Levy needs to know thast the club will be properly compensated.

In the short term, however, Pochettino would much prefer the stability of knowing that a player of Alderweireld’s caliber will not be distracted by the prospect of a move elsewhere. The Argentine’s system demands a significant mental investment from every player at the club, which is why it’s hardly a surprise that Walker found his way to the exit so soon after declining a new contract.

Alderweireld is markedly more important to Tottenham’s plans than Walker ever was however. There is simply no other player currently on the roster that can duplicate his efforts on the pitch, a fact made clear when Spurs won only two of the nine games Alderweireld missed during an injury spell last fall.

Next: Tottenham will make moves this summer despite spendthrift rumors

With the club so dependent on his services, the advantage here clearly lies with Alderweireld. As stubborn as Levy might be, expect some type of deal to be made before the end of the calendar year.