What if one of our stalwarts, our punisher of dribblers and lover of hair products Toby Alderweireld was to be cashed in for a vital £25 million by Daniel Levy this summer?
Who replaces a man so composed at the back and a provider of inch-perfect long balls?
Step forward five potential defenders that could fill his shoes:
JOACHIM ANDERSEN
Andersen is a 23-year-old Dane who plies his trade for Sampdoria in Serie A. Taking a few months to settle in after arriving from FC Twente in 2017, Andersen has finally staked his claim in the heart of Sampdoria’s defence and it’s easy to see why some of the game’s elite are taking an interest.
He is comfortable on the ball and isn’t afraid of a take on, he also loves finding a teammate with a slick pass or a delicate long ball. Standing at 6ft4 he’s also comfortable when heading the ball clear.
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
His tackling stats won’t drop your pants, averaging 1.3 tackles (Whoscored) per game. This is an area he could improve, but with potential and some Pochettino loving, he could flourish.
NATHAN AKE
Ake is a former Chelsea academy product that was let go after admitting to a dark period under former manager Jose Mourinho (The Telegraph). This forced Ake to venture to the south coast and realise his potential under Eddie Howe at Bournemouth in 2017. Another blemish on Chelsea’s portfolio for promising youth.
The 24-year-old Dutch international is a comfortable ball player who fits in at left back, central defence and midfield, he shows great composure when in possession and a passing accuracy of 85.1 (Whoscored) per game, he also holds a great sense of positioning when up against opposition attackers with a staggering 5.8 clearances (as per Whoscored) per game.
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WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
Nathan loves a cross, but they’re not always accurate, this is a minor detail he can improve. Poch can help.
WILLIAM SALIBA
This rumour stinks of Saliba’s agent trying to light a fire under our stammering neighbours, Arsenal.
However, Saliba is one of those rare gems, especially at the young age of 18, who seems to have it all.
A product of the AS Saint-Etienne academy, Saliba broke into the first team last season to amass an impressive 22 appearances at right back and centre back in his first season.
In just a few games Saliba was able to showcase strong tackling and interception statistics with 2.1 and 1.8 respectively (Whoscored) per game.
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
Not sure… at 18 years of age, any shortcomings can be ironed out by Pochettino.
ERIC BAILLY
Bailly is a 25-year-old Ivorian Coast international that has suffered an injury-plagued time since joining Manchester United in 2016.
Regardless of injuries this season, his statistics remain strong as he amassed 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.1 clearances (as per Whoscored) per game in just 8 premier league games.
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
He loves the physio room… but, with Pochettino’s magic dust and an injury free season, Bailly could capture his impressive 2016/17 form and become our new stalwart.
JAPHET TANGANGA
Tanganga has just signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur and has shown promise working through the Tottenham academy ranks. He is one for the future who looks assured on the ball and in the tackle, and he is a lover of a long ball and a headed goal.
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
Time will tell. At 20 years old and with a new contract under his belt, hopefully, he will knuckle down and work his way into the first team.
That’s our top 5, who do you think we should move for if Toby were to leave?
Spurs Web opinion:
Of course, we would rather Toby penned a new contract with Spurs, but if his hearts set on leaving Tottenham at the end of his contract, then I can only thank him for the number of times he has personally saved a match for us.
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