The Belgium defender’s agent is quoted as saying that the player will force a transfer away from Tottenham if he is not offered an improved contract.
Toby Alderweireld arrived at Tottenham in 2015 for a fee of around £11.5 million. The transfer fee proved to be a steal, with Alderweireld quickly making a big impression for Spurs. In a team that has performed beyond expectations during the last two seasons, Alderweireld proved himself to be one of the top defenders in the Premier League.
Now the player’s agent is calling for Alderweireld to get his due. The defender’s contract is set to expire in 2019 and negotiations between the club and the player’s reps have not lead to an agreement. Rumour has it that the main point of contention does not have to do with wages, but rather with the release clause the player is demanding. It is reported that Stijn Francis, the player’s agent, is trying to get Spurs to agree to a relatively small release clause of only €25million. Given recent events involving release clauses, the London club is naturally anxious to make sure the player stays put and decline including a small release fee into his new contract.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Francis says that the player’s performances clearly warrant a new contract or the possibility for the Belgium to look for a new playing opportunity. “Toby is always good. Even after his injury he recovered well. Tottenham’s statistics fell sharply during his absence. If you only look at his figures, Toby is impressive and for his performances, he deserves either a correct contract from Tottenham or a transfer.”
The agent believes the ball is now in his client’s court. Francis says that few defenders match Alderweireld qualities and if he were to leave the club, there would be plenty of important teams ready to pay the required fee to get the player to join their club. “For a transfer, you know that he can only leave Tottenham for seven or eight teams and almost all the other top clubs are interested in Toby. There are not a lot of central defenders of his kind, so they have sought after. But those clubs also know that they have to negotiate with [Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy,” the agent says.
Alderweireld is not the first to criticize the Spurs’ policies involving transfers and wages. Earlier this year Danny Rose publicly criticized the club’s decisions. The left-back later apologized for his comments, but it signaled a possible rift between the players and club. Tottenham is a team that has constantly grown in recent years. Some would argue the club may be getting a tad too big for their own boots. However, with proper management and a series of good results, like the ones offered last season, the team could move to the next level and stay there for a while.
