Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has relayed his fears for Tottenham Hotspur following a development involving defender Toby Alderweireld.

The Lowdown: Alderweireld issues exit demand...

The Athletic first broke news of Alderweireld's desire to leave Tottenham this summer, with the Belgian allegedly confident that an exit can be sealed.

Alasdair Gold backed this report whilst going into further detail, stating that he even asked the club if he could leave a while ago and it wouldn't have made any difference who succeeded Jose Mourinho as manager (Twitter).

The Latest: Robinson fears for Tottenham...

Following this development, Robinson has relayed his fears for Spurs whilst claiming that the 32-year-old is currently their best centre-back.

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Indeed, the pundit said that the position is a 'real problem area' for Tottenham, and Alderweireld's exit claim could mean that he becomes a 'big loss'.

"It is a massive blow to hear that," the club's former goalkeeper explained to Football Insider when asked about the news.

"I really think he would be a big loss. He’s the best Spurs have got currently.

“The centre-half position is a real problem area for Spurs. They struggled in that department all of last season.

"It is a position that Nuno will have to address in the transfer market.

“Alderweireld is the best defender at the club but if Nuno is working on a tight budget, and wants to shape the team, then maybe he will cash in. Some players will have to make way and Alderweireld looks like he could be one of them.”

The Verdict: Correct?

Out of Tottenham's entire squad last season, Alderweireld averaged the joint-most Premier League blocks per game (1.1) whilst also making the second-most clearances (4.6) per match, marking him out as a solid presence in their defence (WhoScored).

He also enjoyed flashes of brilliant form over 2020/21, with former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho singling him out for praise after a 'fantastic' display at home to Manchester City in November (Sky Sports).

However, with the defender approaching his twilight phase, we believe that Nuno Espirito Santo should look to offload Alderweireld and grant the Belgian his wish. His sell-on value will only decrease from this point onwards and Spurs may need to strike while the iron is somewhat hot.

In other news: 'In recent days'...Spurs have now made approach to sign £34.4m-rated 'genius', find out more here.