Spurs’ Alderweireld Could Be As Successful As Campbell If Arsenal Get Him
According to reports in Sunday’s media columns, including in the Daily Mail, Arsenal are plotting a shock summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld.
Looking at it from a purely footballing point of view, you’d suggest that the Belgian international would be making a mistake if he decided to swap White Hart Lane for The Emirates stadium next season.
Spurs are currently in a higher position in the Premier League and have been for the majority of this term, plus they’ve also been highly impressive in this season’s Champions League (a competition The Gunners have failed to qualify for in the last two years)
But football isn’t just a sport these days and players aren’t as committed to teams like they once were, that means that swapping one fierce rival for another isn’t as big a deal to modern day footballers especially if the money is right!
A perfect example of this is when former Spurs captain Sol Campbell left the Lilywhites in the summer of 2001 and signed a Bosman deal to join Arsenal. It was a deal that really worked well for the player and the Gunners as he helped them win two Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
Now the biggest reason if Toby were to end up at The Emirates would be that the wage packet is greater than the one he’s currently getting at Tottenham.
The Belgian has so far failed to agree a new deal with his current employers and in the summer his contract will have a £25m release clause inserted into it.
That’s a fairly modest sum for a top defender these days and the fact that he’s got plenty of English top flight experience will attract clubs like Arsenal too. That lower fee will also mean that potential suitors can dedicate more money to the player’s wage and signing on fee.
Being thirty years of age now, you’ve got to think that Alderweireld will be thinking of getting another lucrative contract before he enters the final years of his career.
I also think that Arsenal’s project under Unai Emery this year will be enough to attract good players like the Belgian international.
The Gunners are just three points away from the top four positions in the Premier League and are still going strong in the Europa League. So if they can secure a place in next season’s Champions League then they’ll again stand a better chance of bringing in better talent.
The club look to be on the up, they’re playing good football and are picking up results in the bigger games too.
They still need another top class centre-half and that could see them push the boat out to get the best possible target into the club.
Emery stated to Talksport back in January that he needed to see improvements in his defence in 2019:
“Our challenge now is to improve defensively,”
“We need defence also to take more balance and improve. We need to work. We need to prepare for the second half of the season.”
I think the Spaniard will still want to bring in a new face to improve that department when the summer transfer window opens.
Other sides might be interest in Toby Alderweireld but Arsenal might head up the queue as Chelsea have been served a transfer ban by FIFA (which they’re appealing) and Manchester United could be looking at younger prospects.
Tottenham Hotspur have to decide if they can offer the Belgian centre-back the deal that he wants or risk watching him play for their rivals.
Arsenal might get a player in Toby Alderweireld (if they sign him) that shores up their defence and if he can do that then he could be as successful as Sol Campbell was for The Gunners.
It could be an explosive signing but it wouldn’t be one that surprises me.
Posted on April 14th, 2019 by scott
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