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Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly set to join Manchester United and Barcelona in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld.
According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, United and Barca are long-term admirers of the Belgian, but PSG are keen to revamp their squad this summer with the defence among their priorities.
B/R Football @brfootball
PSG are reportedly poised to enter the race for Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, according to @TeleFootball https://t.co/uldjgvteyc
Les Parisiens also hope to capitalise on the positive relationship they enjoy with Spurs, having sold Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura to them over the last year, and being a foreign club they also have an advantage over United and any other Premier League suitors by not being a direct rival.
Alderweireld’s deal expires in 2019, and while the club can extend it by 12 months, it also contains a £25 million release clause that can be activated next summer as long as there are at least two weeks remaining in the transfer window.
Such a price would be a bargain in today’s market for a centre-back of Alderweireld’s ability, so Spurs are in a difficult situation and may need to sell him this summer to ensure they receive a fee closer to his actual value.
ESPN FC’s Dan Kilpatrick believes the 29-year-old is one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs and rued his absence from Spurs’ UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with Juventus:
Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP
There was a lot of revisionism when Walker left (‘Trippier is first choice’ etc) & it’s already happening with Alderweireld. If he leaves, Spurs lose one of the top two or three players in his position (with Vertonghen) in the PL. https://t.co/XwyHlhOl1C
Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP
#thfc In the end, Spurs massively missed Alderweireld over two legs. Hard to imagine they’d have switched off for those two crucial 10-minute spells with him.
PSG are a dominant force on the domestic scene in France, but a player who can make them more resilient in important European matches is a must-have if they’re to reach their goal of winning the Champions League.
At United, he could help on both fronts. The Red Devils have the second-best defence in the Premier League, but that is in no small part thanks to goalkeeper David De Gea, and the likes of Chris Smalling sorely need replacing in their defence.
Barcelona have shipped just 13 goals in La Liga this season thanks largely to Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique’s robust defensive partnership, but the Blaugrana lack strength in depth there.
Alderweireld would be a strong addition to any of the sides interested in him, and his loss would be a significant blow to Spurs.
There’s no right answer to the situation Spurs find themselves in with him, so they’ll need to consider their options carefully this summer.