Tottenham make decision after long servant tells club he wants out

Toby Alderweireld has told Tottenham Hotspur he wants to leave the club this summer, according to a report.

Alderweireld has been with Tottenham since 2015, when he signed from Atletico Madrid after showcasing himself in the Premier League on loan at Southampton. Initially, he formed part of a successful partnership with Jan Vertonghen. But last season, Spurs’ backline came under scrutiny.

Now, as their rebuild begins to take shape following the appointments of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach and Fabio Paratici as managing director, Tottenham are being tipped to freshen up their options in defence.

Alderweireld has already been flirting with the idea of an exit. As recently as May, he said that although he was happy at Spurs, he would not rule out the idea of moving to play in Belgium.

The 32-year-old has never played professional club football in his country of birth. He came through the youth ranks at Ajax in the Netherlands before joining Atletico in 2015.

A return to Ajax, coincidentally, has also been mentioned as a possible option for him. But Club Brugge are apparently making a push to take him to his homeland.

Transfer Chatter - Ben White transfer saga update, Kane departure up to Nuno and Manchester United and Real Madrid's forward battle

Transfer Chatter - Ben White transfer saga update, Kane departure up to Nuno and Manchester United and Real Madrid's forward battle

Everton are ready to bid for Brighton defender Ben White, Tottenham will not sell Harry Kane without Nuno Espirito Santo's confirmation and Manchester Unitedwill battle Real Madrid for Everton forward, all in today's transfer chatter.

Whether Belgium would be his next destination or not, Alderweireld has now apparently communicated to Tottenham his desire to leave the club.

According to The Athletic, he hopes to leave Tottenham and has told them so. Although he is currently on duty at Euro 2020, he wants to resolve his club future afterwards.

It is believed that Tottenham are willing to grant him his exit wish, as long as they receive an appropriate offer. Two years are remaining on his contract, so they can still command a fee for him.

A departure would bring an end to six years of service in north London for Alderweireld, who has made nearly 250 appearances for the club.

Nuno has plan for defensive signing

Nuno Espirito Santo pic via Tottenham Hotspur

Potentially to fill the void, Nuno has reportedly has come up with a transfer plan to convince former Wolves colleague Conor Coady to reject Everton.

Nuno reportedly mentioned the England Euro 2020 star as a target in initial talks about moving to north London.

However, Everton – who similarly confirmed Rafael Benitez as their new boss on Wednesday – are also in the hunt.

According to Football Insider, the two sides are now ready to enter a ‘bidding war’ for Coady.

 

Nuno reportedly plans to derail Benitez’s early transfer plans at Goodison Park, though.

The Tottenham boss will supposedly offer Coady the same standout role he played throughout the pair’s time together at Wolves.

Coady only missed two league games in Nuno’s four seasons in charge at Molineux. He is willing to lure him to Tottenham with the promise of regular gametime again.

What’s more, Spurs are reportedly planning to make further defensive signings as well.

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