Tottenham Concern As Man Utd & Chelsea Battle To Sign £150k-A-Week Star

The January transfer window in now closed so it’s time to look at those deals that didn’t get over the line and those being lined-up for the summer. Today, the latest on Toby Alderweireld….

Manchester United and Chelsea will now need to battle it out with Spanish giants Real Madrid to sign Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld, according to the Mirror.

Alderweireld has developed in to one of the best centre-backs in Europe since joining Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in 2015 following an impressive season on loan at Southampton.

However, the 28-year-old’s future in north London is in doubt as he has just 18 months left to run on his current contract and Spurs are no closer to tying him down to an extension.

There has been growing speculation suggesting that Alderweireld was unhappy at being left out of the recent wins over Arsenal and Juventus despite returning to action earlier this month.

Mauricio Pochettino insists he was simply protecting the player after he spent three months on the sidelines with a serious hamstring injury but reports suggest Alderweireld felt he was fit enough to play in those key games.

The situation has caught the attention of a number of clubs with the Mirror claiming that Man Utd and Chelsea are watching developments closely ahead of potential summer swoops.

The newspaper says the duo have been alerted to Alderweireld’s complex contract situation as although his current deal is set to expire in 2019, Spurs have the option of an automatic one-year extension.

However, should that clause be activated then the new deal will include a £25m buyout clause that can be triggered in the summer of 2019 as long as any transfer is completed before the final two weeks of the window.

So, unless Tottenham can tie Alderweireld down to a new contract over the coming months they may be forced to cash-in this summer or risk losing the defender for just £25m the following year.

The Mirror claims talks are on-going over an extension but Alderweireld is looking for a deal worth at least £150,000-a-week and while that sort of money would break Tottenham’s wage structure, the player could earn much more at the likes of Chelsea or United.

However, should Spurs cash-in this summer then the report says the English duo will face stiff competition as Real Madrid are also ready to join the race for Alderweireld’s signature.

READ MORE–> Man Utd transfer news | Spurs transfer news |  Chelsea transfer news

It’s a fascinating situation and it’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out over the coming months but Tottenham will find themselves in a tough position if Alderweireld doesn’t sign a new deal soon.