With a £25m release clause in his contract set to become active in the summer, Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham is far from certain.
The north London club took up the option to extend Alderweireld’s expiring deal by a year back in January (Sky Sports), bringing the said clause into play to leave the 30-year-old’s future up in the air.
And while Alderweireld has claimed he is happy with life at Tottenham, he is not ruling anything out.
“There’s a lot to play for this season. And in the end I have a year contract left at Spurs, so I don’t look further than this season,” the Belgian told Sky Sports. “Other things I don’t know. I am very happy at Spurs, so we will see what the future brings.”
Should Alderweireld end up leaving Mauricio Pochettino’s side, though, here are three potential consequences that could follow.
Juan Foyth Gets More Game Time
After a year at the club, Juan Foyth has finally been given an opportunity with Pochettino having called upon the 21-year-old earlier in the season due to injuries to the team’s other central defenders.
At times, Foyth has struggled with the two penalties he gave away in a 3-2 victory over Wolves coming to mind.
However, the Argentina international has shown signs that there is a player in there, a player who could be in line for more minutes if Alderweireld decides to call it quits.
Matthijs de Ligt Swoop
Ajax’s rising star Matthijs de Ligt has been linked with a move to Tottenham for some time now (Evening Standard) and is a possible external candidate to replace Alderweireld.
The north London outfit, though, are almost certain to face fierce competition for the 19-year-old’s signature in what would be an expensive transfer.
Still, de Ligt would be an addition of world-class potential. And with the £25m Daniel Levy should be able to raise from Alderweireld’s sell, some of the money will already be there for the deal.
Of course, with a big-name player like Alderweireld potentially leaving, you have to go big to replace him.
Domino Effect
Most of Tottenham’s key players are tied down to long-term deals. However, watching another first-team regular in Alderweireld leave could easily see them reconsider their futures later down the line.
Kyle Walker has already left the club and has since gone on to win the Premier League with Manchester City, while Christian Eriksen could soon follow suit.
The Denmark international looks no closer to signing an extension on his 2020 deal with an exit, alongside Alderweireld, now looking like a strong possibility.
