Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld will move to Manchester United this summer or run his contract down, reports talkSPORT.
The 29-year-old Belgium international made no secret of his desire to leave north London but his ambition has been frustrated by the high valuation placed on him by Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy.
Now, with the chances of him moving to Old Trafford this summer diminishing, Alderweireld declared that if a deal doesn’t happen, Tottenham will lose him on a free transfer next summer.
For the past two summers, speculation-fuelled column inches claimed United were on the market for a centre-back and the Belgian was their first target. No offers arrived then and with Tottenham at their weakest negotiating point during that period, no offers from Manchester United are forthcoming.
Spurs offered Alderweireld a £130,000 per week deal but he rejected that, confident he could claim more money elsewhere.
While he can leave next summer, Tottenham have a further one-year option to exercise. That means Alderweireld remains at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but has a release clause of £25m. It might be a short-lived contract option.
Tottenham’s willingness to sell is sorely tested by their abject failure in this summer’s transfer window. Despite repeated assurances from Daniel Levy to the contrary, many supporters believe the finances for the new stadium are holding the club back.
It’s a mood not improved by comments today by head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s comments that the club may not sign any new players, instead relying on their academy graduates to fill gaps.
It may prove a long 2018/19 season for the fans…
