Toby Alderweireld says he expects to be a Tottenham player next season despite ongoing speculation about a move away from the club.
The defender has one year left on his current contract and has been linked with Manchester United in recent months.
Toby Alderweireld: Will he stay or will he go? Five key things to know…
- Alderweireld joined Spurs from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015 after a successful season on loan at Southampton.
- The Belgian is still on the initial contract he signed with Tottenham, meaning his salary is considerably lower than the club’s top earners.
- Last summer, Alderweireld was heavily linked with Manchester United but a deal failed to materialise.
- Spurs triggered a one-year extension to his contract this year, activating a £25 million release clause that will likely be met this summer.
- But Alderweireld has now cast doubt over an exit, while United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League could rule them out of a revived deal.
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Tottenham face Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday and Alderweireld is a shoo-in to start following a stellar campaign.
And the 30-year-old claims he is only thinking about playing out the final year of his contract with Spurs.
“My only focus is Spurs,” Alderweireld said. “Because of this focus, I think I had a good season as well.
“I have one year left on my contract, so in my head, I will play for Spurs next season.”
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Spurs’ UCL run could scupper Man Utd’s Alderweireld chase
Tottenham are chasing their first ever European Cup/Champions League win as they prepare for this weekend’s final against Liverpool in Madrid.
“It will be massive,” Alderweireld added. “We are going to do everything to win. Our route in the Champions League has not been easy.
“The group, Barcelona, Inter (Milan) and (Borussia) Dortmund, City first in England and Ajax first in Holland, it was a very tough route.
“But the mentality of the team showed we can achieve anything that we want.”
There is a good chance Spurs’ incredible comeback against Ajax in the semi-finals convinced Alderweireld that the Champions League is the place to be.
And while that doesn’t guarantee he will stay in north London, it surely makes a move to Manchester United this summer less likely.