Why Toby Alderweireld staying put at Tottenham would be a big boost

One of Jose Mourinho’s first jobs as Tottenham head coach is to solve the contract predicament of a few players. As things stand, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen can leave on free transfers in the summer unless they sign new terms between now and then.

But Mourinho could be handed a boost as a report from the Telegraph claims Toby Alderweireld could consider extending his contract at Tottenham.

Alderweireld, 30, has entered the final six months of his £80,000-a-week contract at the club and decided to walk out of the club on a free transfer before Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino last week.

The Belgian can start talking to foreign clubs in January but the report adds that the defender feels refreshed by the appointment of Mourinho, who wanted to sign him for both Manchester United and Chelsea.

Mourinho considers Alderweireld as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League and wants to rebuild Spurs’ defence around him. So if the Belgium international considers making a u-turn over his Spurs future, it would be a big boost for Mourinho’s team and the fans.

One of the Premier League’s best centre-backs ever since first moving to Southampton on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2014, Alderweireld is expected to play a crucial role under Mourinho at Tottenham. With the performance levels of Eriksen, Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Dele Alli dropping this season, Alderweireld has looked relatively solid.

Surprisingly left out of the starting XI against Sheffield United before the international break, the Belgian was restored in the line-up at West Ham on Saturday in what was Mourinho’s first game as Spurs boss.

Although Spurs conceded two late goals in the game that ended in the visitors’ favour at the London Stadium, Mourinho started his new managerial chapter with a victory, which interestingly, was the club’s first away win since January.

Read More Tottenham News

• Why Tottenham should go all out to sign Mariano Diaz in January
• Why Memphis Depay to Tottenham Hotspur would be a perfect move
• Why Nikola Milenkovic would be a solid signing for Tottenham

Mourinho has always been a manager who has wanted his team to have a strong, tight defensive structure. Spurs’ defence looks far more secure with Alderweireld in it, with the 30-year-old forging a strong partnership with his Belgian compatriot Vertonghen for a few seasons now.

Verdict

Tottenham have hardly been blessed with top-level defenders in recent years. What Alderweireld brings to the team has not been seen at the club for a very long time and it’s for this reason that Spurs must do everything possible to keep hold of him.

If the Belgium international stays put at the club beyond his current contract, it’ll provide a massive boost to Mourinho, who will be desperate to end Tottenham’s decade-long trophy drought.