After much deliberating and drawn-out negotiations, Toby Alderweireld has signed a new contract which is set to keep him in North London until 2023. His previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, and there had been some speculation he would leave Tottenham Hotspur for nothing after running down his contract. But the Belgian international has now ended all that speculation and said: “There is no place I can be happier.”
Alderweireld’s signing of a new contract is the first of a trio of first-team regulars whose deals expire in the summer. By extending his deal, the Belgian international defender has shown his faith in Jose Mourinho, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen could yet also show theirs too.
It is easy to see why the Tottenham Hotspur squad would have faith in Mourinho, throughout his career the Portuguese manager has won 25 trophies across four different leagues, making him one of the most decorated bosses in history. Furthermore, he has vastly improved the results of the North London side since returning to the Premier League in November. Under Mourinho, Spurs have won five and lost just two, but it is not only the results that have improved, so have the performances of his players.
The average rating of Alderweireld’s performances have increased, and in Tottenham Hotspur’s latest game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were a place above them in the Premier League table, he recorded his best performance of the past ten matches. That particular display was an outstanding one for the Belgium international centre back, making an enormous eight clearances, along with a further one interception and two tackles. Additional prof the defender is committed to Spurs cause came via his two blocked shots to make sure the opposition scored just once.
So far Mourinho has all his Tottenham players pulling in the same direction, and after looking like he could make a summer exit, Alderweireld is now firmly part of the plan for the future. The Portuguese manager’s previous interest when with Manchester United may have helped sweeten the deal. But if Mourinho can turn the situation around and secure Vertonghen and Eriksen’s signatures, that would be the ultimate show of faith from the Spurs squad.
