Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld has told Tottenham Hotspur that he wants to leave the club this summer, according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare. The 32-year-old is said to be confident that a deal can be done after Euro 2020, and Spurs are unlikely to deny him the opportunity to move on if they receive an appropriate offer.
Toby Alderweireld Wants to Leave Tottenham Hotspur
Six-Year Stay Could Come to an End
Alderweireld joined Tottenham him 2015 from Atletico Madrid after spending the season before on loan at Southampton, giving him his first taste of Premier League football. He has been a mainstay in the heart of defence for Spurs, forming a particularly strong partnership with his Belgian teammate Jan Vertonghen.
However, it has always been his desire to return to the club where it all started for him, Royal Antwerp. He left the Belgian club when he was 15 to join the youth set-up at Dutch club Ajax. Before Spurs’ Europa League tie against Antwerp last year, he said: “I am really looking forward to it. It is special to play in my hometown. I have never played in Antwerp — I have never played an official game here so it is going to be a special night tomorrow.”
Antwerp’s interest in bringing Alderweireld back to his home town will certainly have piqued his interest, although there is said to be clubs in both Italy and Spain who are keen on signing the defender too.
Alderweireld is under contract until 2023, so Spurs could still charge a fee for him. However, being 32, they will know all too well that this is probably the last chance they will get to sell him for a decent price.
According to Eccleshare, Spurs’ potential replacements could include Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Lyon defender Joachim Andersen, who spent last season on loan at Fulham.
They also retain an interest in Inter Milan’s Slovakian centre-back Milan Skriniar and have submitted a bid for Bologna’s Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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