Player watch: Toby Alderweireld

[wakefieldyid]

Only thing that makes sense to me is that Poch see's this as his Fergie moment. In that if you mess with him or the club then your gone, no matter your footballing ability. Personally think Toby is being made an example of for any future dissenters. Goes for Rose too

I think that the club is also keen to highlight to the rest of the squad that the transfer market for older players isn't quite as buoyant as some of their agents may have led them to believe.

 

[Joeyboey]

Despite his contract running down, Toby leaving is the deal that makes the least sense to me this summer - even more so if we’re selling both starting full backs.

Quite frankly selling 3 of our back 4 within 3 weeks of the season feels utterly insane. Quite worrying.

 

[hughy]

With the way things are at the moment, I'd rather Toby leave on a free next year than for £25m this year.

Us not getting CL football is a lot more damaging than us not getting £25m. I think there's a real possibility we could miss out on CL football losing both of our full-backs and a world class CB in Toby.

 

[Ben1]

Absolutely nothing has changed on this one then. Our desire to sell isn't a new thing, its always been about Toby. Unless City offer him 200k a week in the next 7 days, why would he go. Stay at spurs and get that cheque on the free market next season.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Despite his contract running down, Toby leaving is the deal that makes the least sense to me this summer - even more so if we’re selling both starting full backs.

Quite frankly selling 3 of our back 4 within 3 weeks of the season feels utterly insane. Quite worrying.

Liverpool basically changed their entire back 4 over the course of the 17/18 season (and GK at the end of it) and made back to back CL finals.

Granted their quality went up with each move but I don't think Toby > Sanchez is as massive a drop as many on here (aside from on the ball), and he really needs to be playing regularly now.

Our full backs were hardly on fire last season, refreshing them is the right move IMO. I don't think it's that insane.

I'd be lying if I wasn't concerned (I hope Toby sees the year out as backup) but I'm backing Poch to make it work.

 

[allpaths]

i just wished him and poch would kiss and make up, this must be how children of divorce feel.

 

[Lighty64]

I would rather keep him for another season than lose him for £25m.

Gives us another season to find a replacement and he showed last season he is stil willing to put in 100%. On his day he is still one of the best CBs in the league, £25m isn't going to replace that.

weird I know but keeping Toby for 1 more year would be like signing Cabellos on loan for 1 season without the option to buy. It also restricts Sanchez appearances which could cause him to want out. Sanchez is our 2nd biggest signing and if he isn't ready to step up then we best sell him (not being serious).

Toby has gone on tour, but why I don't know. if the club want him gone, and we intend to use Sanchez will we include him in both squads if not sold. The quicker we get Sanchez playing regular the quicker he can hopefully build a strong partnership with Jan. leave this another year we then need CB cover, and most probably have to pay silly money if we feel Sanchez and Jan are not the answer

 

[SpartanSpur]

weird I know but keeping Toby for 1 more year would be like signing Cabellos on loan for 1 season without the option to buy. It also restricts Sanchez appearances which could cause him to want out. Sanchez is our 2nd biggest signing and if he isn't ready to step up then we best sell him (not being serious).

Toby has gone on tour, but why I don't know. if the club want him gone, and we intend to use Sanchez will we include him in both squads if not sold. The quicker we get Sanchez playing regular the quicker he can hopefully build a strong partnership with Jan. leave this another year we then need CB cover, and most probably have to pay silly money if we feel Sanchez and Jan are not the answer

I suspect if Toby stays he will be backup to Sanchez. A bit like when he first refused the contract.

 

[Joeyboey]

If we’re so dead keen on shifting Toby, it’s strange that he travelled abroad with the rest of the squad when we deliberately left players back so they can angle a move away. Doesn’t add up.

 

[Rosco1984]

Most of what the main ITK on here says always adds up to me but this doesn't. Its impossible to believe that none of the big clubs who all have some shocking centre backs probably apart from Liverpool would not want to sign Alderweireld who is clearly a top professional when it comes to staying fit etc for the price of 1/2 of Harry Maguires enormous forehead when Alderweireld probably still has 5 good years left as a centre back. If he was leaving and his agent was pushing him around he wouldn't be in Singapore the clubs that want him would want him close by ready to sign before that clause expires.

 

[rabbikeane]

If we’re so dead keen on shifting Toby, it’s strange that he travelled abroad with the rest of the squad when we deliberately left players back so they can angle a move away. Doesn’t add up.

We can't sell Toby if he doesn't want to go, and he'll only want to go if he get the money he's after,
he's likely to want as a sign on fee what he lost out on by not accepting earlier contract offer from Spurs,
and then a heavy wage on top of that. Which means he probably have to wait out his contract to get what he want.
If there's no probable transfer he goes on tour, the others will have transfers they can work on.

 

[Lighty64]

We can't sell Toby if he doesn't want to go, and he'll only want to go if he get the money he's after,
he's likely to want as a sign on fee what he lost out on by not accepting earlier contract offer from Spurs,
and then a heavy wage on top of that. Which means he probably have to wait out his contract to get what he want.
If there's no probable transfer he goes on tour, the others will have transfers they can work on.

for him to get that he would be looking at someone giving him 10m sign on, and then a wage of 175k for what will be a 9.1m per season for a 31year old that's missed 2 largish chunks of a season with 2 different injuries.

Juventus possibly but not many clubs out there that will lay out that kind of money for a player that age. He might even be even more out of pocket, because Poch has to think of the future which is Sanchez, so not only will he be losing out on a better wage if he refuses to go this summer, he might lose a lot of bonuses on top and a lack of football. at least we might have a top defender playing CB in the CoC and FA Cup next season

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Liverpool basically changed their entire back 4 over the course of the 17/18 season (and GK at the end of it) and made back to back CL finals.

Granted their quality went up with each move but I don't think Toby > Sanchez is as massive a drop as many on here (aside from on the ball), and he really needs to be playing regularly now.

Our full backs were hardly on fire last season, refreshing them is the right move IMO. I don't think it's that insane.

I'd be lying if I wasn't concerned (I hope Toby sees the year out as backup) but I'm backing Poch to make it work.

You either massively underrate Alderweireld or massively overrate Sanchez.
One is a decent young CB with the potential to become world class. The other is one of the top few CBs in the world.

 

[Finchyid]

Despite his contract running down, Toby leaving is the deal that makes the least sense to me this summer - even more so if we’re selling both starting full backs.

Quite frankly selling 3 of our back 4 within 3 weeks of the season feels utterly insane. Quite worrying.

Why? Trippier was poor last season, rose had 5 good games and toby is dicking around with a contract. Makes perfect sense to me, poch rules and he wont take shit...my way or the highway! We know this from the kaboul debacle

 

[SpartanSpur]

You either massively underrate Alderweireld or massively overrate Sanchez.
One is a decent young CB with the potential to become world class. The other is one of the top few CBs in the world.

Who is coming towards the end of his career and burned his bridges at the club. There's a reason no one is in for him at £25m.

Sanchez is a lot better than 'decent', he was one of the top CB prospects in the world when we signed him (for a club record fee). He was impressive for Colombia in the World Cup and I believe he had a good Copa. When playing regularly with Vertonghen in early 2018 Sanchez looked very good. In comparison Toby didn't seem as comfortable alongside him, and the burden lies with the more experienced pro there.

Sanchez has made mistakes as expected with a young defender but Toby has too. He got absolutely rinsed by Pedro at Stamford Bridge and ducked under the Sterling opener in the CL semi. That's just off the top of my head. He's human too.

Toby is a top class player and has been a great servant, but the club has to move forward. Sanchez can be our starting CB for 7-8 more years. Time to back him IMHO. I actually hope Toby sees his last year out as he'd be ideal to step in if Sanchez or Jan get injured.

 

[Pauleta01]

I am not sure where all the negativity re the full backs going is coming from. Trippier has not been good for a while. In fact IMO the World Cup was an anomaly for him (and shows its standard is below UCL). He lacks pace, he passes sideways or backwards always when under pressure and gets found out in top 6 match ups or UCL. I thought he was the reason we lost to Juve at home in the UCL the year before last. Rose until the last 2 months of the season had been out of form and unfit (and over weight). At 28 Rose and Trippier are ripe to sell, full backs is all about Pace, and pace diminishes in a professional footballer typically past 27 so I support the refresh here.

As for Toby, yes he is exceptional, and I would love him to stay, but they are not going to sanction the 3 year+ deal that makes sense to him, so I am with those on here that are happy for him to see his contract out as that would be circa 3 years he has left 5-6m on the table in wages, so if we get 5 years top service out of him and no fee, I think that is better than 4 years and £25m. However, I fully expect him to go. If I was managing a top Euro side and needed to improve my defence I would buy him. Toby can literally improve any defence in Europe for the next 2 years!

 

[glospur]

If we’re so dead keen on shifting Toby, it’s strange that he travelled abroad with the rest of the squad when we deliberately left players back so they can angle a move away. Doesn’t add up.

100% this, especially when there's supposed to be only a week left in the 25m clause. It doesn't make sense.

 

[SpartanSpur]

100% this, especially when there's supposed to be only a week left in the 25m clause. It doesn't make sense.

It wouldn't surprise me if Toby is quite content to see the year out if there's no big time suitors.

 

[The Opinionated Lurker]

Who is coming towards the end of his career and burned his bridges at the club. There's a reason no one is in for him at £25m.

Sanchez is a lot better than 'decent', he was one of the top CB prospects in the world when we signed him (for a club record fee). He was impressive for Colombia in the World Cup and I believe he had a good Copa. When playing regularly with Vertonghen in early 2018 Sanchez looked very good. In comparison Toby didn't seem as comfortable alongside him, and the burden lies with the more experienced pro there.

Sanchez has made mistakes as expected with a young defender but Toby has too. He got absolutely rinsed by Pedro at Stamford Bridge and ducked under the Sterling opener in the CL semi. That's just off the top of my head. He's human too.

Toby is a top class player and has been a great servant, but the club has to move forward. Sanchez can be our starting CB for 7-8 more years. Time to back him IMHO. I actually hope Toby sees his last year out as he'd be ideal to step in if Sanchez or Jan get injured.

The fact that there’s a sizeable amount of the fanbase who don’t want to give Sanchez even a second of time but are clamouring over themselves to champion Foyth, who has imo looked way shakier albeit with signs of obvious talent, really disappoints me. Both are great, and in them we could be looking at our CB partnership for the next half decade at least.

 

[SpartanSpur]

The fact that there’s a sizeable amount of the fanbase who don’t want to give Sanchez even a second of time but are clamouring over themselves to champion Foyth, who has imo looked way shakier albeit signs of obvious talent. Both are great, and in them we could be looking at our CB partnership for the next half decade at least.

I don't get it, did they not see him alongside Vertonghen at the back end of 2018, including a colossal game in our first win in decades at Stamford Bridge?

I actually think Sanchez' superior recovery abilities bring something the Toby and Verts partnership lacked, and he has a good physicality too, although he has to learn how to use it properly.

Maybe it's because he's not as comfortable a footballer as Foyth and the Belgians, but right now I see him as a much bigger prospect than Foyth as an out and out defender. I do think Foyth is a serious prospect too however.

He does have things to work on, such as over-committing when playing a high line but he is a hell of a prospect, and after 2 years of bedding in, I think it's time to give him a chance.