A report in the Times today suggests that we are willing to let Toby Alderweireld go in the summer following a break down in contract talks.
It looks as though both Levy and Poch are in agreement about the Belgian leaving the club despite the fact he is arguably the best centre back in the Premier League.
Discussions over a new deal are said to have stalled over a difference of £40,000 a week, with Toby wanting £150k and the club only prepared to go as high as £110k so not to break the wage structure.
#thfc ready to sell Alderweireld this summer after collapse of contract talks. Club unwilling to meet defender`s £150k-a-week wage demands so will consider sale before his value drops to £25m next year. https://t.co/7vx36UHyIy
— Matt Hughes (@MattHughesTimes) February 23, 2018
We do have the option of extending the defender`s deal for a further year until 2020, but numerous reports indicate this would allow the player to leave for just £25.4m in 2019.
It really is quite staggering that we could allow this to happen. Players like our very own No.4 don`t come along very often, and the cost to replace him with a player of a similar quality would be huge. The transfer market is hugely inflated as it is. Remember we paid £42m for Sanchez at the start of the season, while Virgil van Dijk cost Liverpool £75m.
Considering the Belgian is arguably better than the Reds defender, we would need to invest a significant sum in trying to replace him, even if we are able to find someone available on the market with his level of ability.
The Times say Poch is happy to use the money from Alderweireld`s sale to fund signings in other areas of the team, but surely that cannot be true. You must replace arguably your best defender with a replacement of similar quality or the team will go backwards. We are so close to making that breakthrough in the Premier League that we need to be strengthening rather than weakening our squad.
Toby may well be nearing 29-years of age, but he is deserving of a new contract that merits his contribution to the club. If it means Levy has to break his wage structure to do it, then he must do so. Top class defenders are a rare breed these days, and in the Belgian international, we have a player who can stay at the top level for the next four years at least. The club can`t screw this deal up.