Why Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld Would Be Perfect For Barcelona
Barcelona, although hailed for their renowned youth setup ‘La Masia’, have preferred to splash the cash in recent years. They have completed several record-transfers and the propensity for buying more top-notch resources are quite alarming for the European heavyweights. Money decides the fate of current football and the Catalans are now one of the biggest spenders among the world-beaters.
Barca suffered a massive setback in summer when they were forced to sell Neymar to Paris St-Germain. However, they acted swiftly and spent a huge chunk of the Brazilian’s world-record transfer fee on young Frenchman Ousmane Dembele.
The Cules were not done yet and completed the club-record signing of Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool as soon as the window reopened back in January. Ernesto Valverde, the Barca boss, has reconstructed his side but is likely to bring in a defensive reinforcement in order to make them an unstoppable European force once again.
If latest reports are believed to be true, Tottenham Hotspur’s star centre-back Toby Alderweireld is likely to be sold in the upcoming summer transfer window as he has rejected several new contract offers following a mismatch of the wage demands. Barcelona are one of many keen admirers of the Belgian’s excellence in the heart of Spurs back line and are likely to offer him a new venture at Camp Nou.
Daniel Levy has opted to retain a strict wage cap and is unlikely to meet the 28-year-old’s demands. Despite being under contract until 2020, the North Londoners are set to offload Alderweireld prior to the new campaign and are willing to listen to offers. His market value is believed to be more than £50million.
The former Ajax star had a failed stint in Spain but impressed during his loan spell with Southampton. He, however, is now one of Premier League’s finest centre-backs who is performing consistently for few seasons now. His quality, as well as experience, make him an asset to any team who aspire to conquer the football world.
Barcelona have veteran Gerard Pique and youngster Samuel Umtiti as the preferred defensive duo, who are often criticised for their inconsistency and erroneous displays. Alderweireld will add more balance to the back line due to his composure and the reputation of featuring with distinction in Europe’s toughest of competitions.
Youngster Yerri Mina is a promising starlet but not yet ready to take the centre stage for a club of Barcelona’s status. Thomas Vermaelen, Alderweireld’s compatriot, is 32 already and is only as good as a squad player at this stage of his career. The Spurs star will thus be a massive influence for the La Liga leaders who are eying to draw an end to Real Madrid’s Champions League dominance and reclaim elite European status.