da dobrowin： Apart from N’Golo Kante, arguably no player has had more of an impact on his club’s fortunes than Toby Alderweireld has for Spurs.
da casino： Since moving to White Hart Lane from Atletico Madrid in 2015, after impressing on loan at Southampton, the Belgian has developed into arguably the best centre back in the Premier League.
It’s no wonder, therefore, that the North London side are looking to double the 28-year-old’s wages to put him on par with top scorer Harry Kane and captain Hugo Lloris to ward off interest from Inter Milan, as per the Mirror.
It’s easy to see why Spurs are willing to double down on the graceful centre-back when you look back over the last two seasons.
Since arriving, Alderweireld has turned Tottenham from a side on the cusp of the top four to title-challengers almost instantly.
In 2014/15, before the Belgian arrived, Spurs finished in fifth place – 23 points behind champions Chelsea. On top of that, they conceded 53 goals – the 13th best in the league and level with 16th placed Sunderland.
With the ex-Ajax man marshalling the Spurs backline however, the Lilywhites have managed third and second in the league with the best defensive record on both occasions.
What’s even more amazing is that the Belgian rarely seems to have to make a tackle to accomplish this. This is partly due to Spurs’ high-pressure system allowing them to win the ball higher up the pitch, but also due to the 28-year-old’s wonderful positioning and reading of the game.
It’s not just the defensive part of the game Alderweireld excels at, though – far from it.
According to WhoScored, the ball-playing centre back made 7.1 accurate long balls per game last year – more than any other outfield player.
His ability to pick a pass across the field makes him a key outlet in bringing the ball out of defence as well as a threat in initiating attacks on the counter – something which very few centre-halves are capable of.
On top of that, he’s shown his versatility at the back, excelling in both a centre-back pairing and three-man defence – something Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to alternate between and give Spurs a bit of tactical versatility.
Finally, tying another key player down to a long-term contract would be statement of intent for the North London club.
After securing Champions League football last year, Spurs began to sign the core of their side to new deals in order to keep the nucleus of the team together.
And despite falling short last year, signing Alderweireld would demonstrate that they can stay as title contenders and remain top dogs in North London.
If that keeps the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli away from the big clubs for a few more seasons as well, then Alderweireld will be the signing of the season.