The last 12 months for Tottenham Hotspur have largely been about evolution, rather than revolution. They are side that has rarely been afraid to bring new players in every year, but the focus has quite clearly changed under Mauricio Pochettino.
With Victor Wanyama the only summer signing making a significant impact at Tottenham at present, Pochettino has ensured that more of a focus has been placed upon ensuring that his current side is kept together – with contract renewals coming thick and fast for Pochettino’s main men. Already this season, the Tottenham boss has utilised his now-infamous ‘Pochettino pose’ on a number of occasions, with the likes of Dele Alli, Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen all committing to Tottenham for the long-haul.
In fact, much of Tottenham’s core group has signed on long-term, with the defensive trio of Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose all agreeing to new deals this season. However, one player has remained markedly absent from all of this renewal – Toby Alderweireld.
It is tough to understand why, too, given that the Belgian, who turns 28 on Thursday, has arguably been the best player in that Tottenham back line so far this season. Reports from The Guardian towards the tail end of 2016 suggested that a deal was coming, but that has yet to come to pass – and given that everybody else has signed on, that does give cause for concern.
The contribution that Alderweireld offers to Tottenham is difficult to understate. Though he has suffered with injury issues this season, the defender has still managed 18 appearances in the Premier League, with his partnership with Belgian compatriot Jan Vertonghen arguably the greatest pairing in England at present. Without a single defensive error to his name this season, it is clear that the Tottenham back line would not be the same without him.
Indeed, if securing a new contract for Alderweireld is not a priority at present, it certainly needs to be if Pochettino’s change in approach it to be vindicated. Of course, Alderweireld’s current deal will extend until 2020 – should Tottenham wish to follow up on the year extension that has been included in his current contract – but length has rarely been a determining factor in securing new deals at White Hart Lane.
Instead, the offer of a new contract has served as a means of recognising the progress and importance that a player has found within the setup at Tottenham, and no player is as deserving of that praise that Alderweireld. Tottenham may well be looking at who they could look to sign over the coming months, but before Pochettino looks towards who is coming in, he must first look at who needs to stay – and the Belgian defender must be at the top of that list.
It is a coincidence that both Mauricio Pochettino and Toby Alderweirld share a birthday on Thursday, but it is certainly time for the Argentine boss to give his defensive star the gift of a new contract.
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