Mourinho to build Tottenham around Aldeweireld after contract extension

Toby Alderweireld yesterday signed a contract extension that will keep him at Tottenham until 2023, a superb bit of business for Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff. 

The Belgian centre back is an integral part of Mourinho’s Tottenham setup, wit Alderweireld playing in all but one of the club’s 17 Premier League matches this season. He is a staple at the heart of defence, either lining up beside compatriot Jan Vertonghen or Davinson Sánchez.

Luckily for Spurs no external club opted to meet Alderweireld’s £25 million buyout clause this summer. Had a club met the threshold buyout fee, Alderweireld would have most certainly left the for pastures anew. Toward the latter stages of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure, Alderweireld’s future was more uncertain than Fredrik Ljungberg’s at Arsenal.

His career stalled when his hamstring gave way in November 2017. A long road to recovery saw Alderweireld miss six months before returning on a bit-part basis. He never fully regained his starting position until recently, when Mourinho’s appointment gave the 30-year-old a new lease on life. Returning from a serious hamstring problem in your late 20s is no easy feat, but Alderweireld took it in stride, even after rampant reports of his imminent demise at Tottenham surfaced.

The signs, after only two weeks into Mourinho’s tenure at Tottenham, were clear. Alderweireld, whose confidence surged, returned to full health. He was once again the influential player who arrived at Tottenham from Atletico in 2015. Now it’s true that Alderweireld again became a permanent fixture while Pochettino was still in charge, but it wasn’t until Mourinho took over that contract extension talks gained momentum.

Mourinho was keen on signing Alderweireld while in charge of Manchester United, and feels strongly the Belgian can still lead a team. It’s no surprise Alderweireld trebled his wage to a reported £150 per week, an amount fully deserved.

Mourinho has every intention of utilizing Alderweireld, along with Eric Dier and Harry Kane, as the focal points of this Tottenham team. Three strong leaders down the spine of the team will bode well for Mourinho and Spurs, who, barely two months ago, were palpably short on potential captains.

Now they reinforcements ready to fight for Tottenham’s cause, willing and able to wear the armband for the betterment of the collective. And Alderweireld should now be with Spurs until the twilight of his great career.