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Pochettino open to new Tottenham deal for Alderweireld

By Barrett Rouen

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on October 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on October 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
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Though the door had looked firmly closed last season Mauricio Pochettino appears open to the idea of a new deal for star centre-back Toby Alderweireld.

Last season was something of a mess for Tottenham in relation to their star centre-back Toby Alderweireld.  With the player refusing to sign a new deal that was on offer the club responded with their iron authority and froze the player out of the first team.

Many had assumed that he would leave in the summer but with Spurs failing to land any new talent during their historically quiet transfer window it was impossible for them to let a player of his quality leave the team.

It has now emerged however during a recent interview that Alderweireld simply never wanted to leave Spurs.  Offers did come in for him during the summer but he turned them down.  The truth is that Tottenham pay their players too little.  Yes by ordinary standards football players are paid too much and make too much money but in their realm, it isn’t only about the money. Daniel Levy often tries to underpay his stars and it’s insulting.  In the world of competitive sports, it is not often in this case about the money as much as it is about respect in their workplace.

That is why though it does often seem difficult to understand the players’ desires for more money in the cases of both Alderweireld and Danny Rose it makes sense.  Tottenham should give Alderweireld a new contract worth somewhere between 65-90k a week and maybe with some incentives attached to it.  That would be a far more reasonable paycheck for him then the rumored 55k a week that he is making now and yet also beneath the stupid and insulting fees that some players are paid at other clubs.

The truth is the team is better with Alderweireld in the side.  He and Vertonghen together are a formidable partnership that combines craft, power, pace and intelligence.  Sanchez is a good player but at the moment it just appears that Spurs are a better side with the Belgian duo holding them down at the back.

Alderweireld should be given a new contract and to a certain extent his risking injury while also sticking to his principals should be admired.  He has forced Levy to respect him while also refusing to betray the club at which he wants to stay.  Levy can at times be too hard on the financial side of things and can alienate those most important to his club and thus him because of it.

Alderweireld should stay and Levy should see that he does.

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