Toby Alderweireld could yet sign a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur, but the prospect is looking increasingly unlikely, according to Sky Sports.
The Belgian centre-half has been in a stand-off with the club for some time over a possible extension, with no agreement over terms of a new deal.
It has been reported widely in the British press that Alderweireld wants more than £100,000 per week to commit to Tottenham – a figure Daniel Levy is unwilling to match.
There has been talk that the classy centre-half could be sold to Manchester United but there has been no movement on this either.
The latest report suggests that Tottenham want at least £50 million for Alderweireld and that although contract talks could be reopened, they seemed unlikely to be successful.
Spurs have been notorious for not matching the wages of other clubs in the top six but this summer broke their salary cap when agreeing a new six-year deal for Harry Kane.
As such, surely there is room to move when negotiating with Alderweireld.
Most Tottenham fans would be willing to pay the Belgian enforcer what he wants to keep him at the club, as the 28-year-old is one of the best defenders in the Premier League when fit and available.
Should Alderweireld leave this summer it will be a blow for Spurs, who would then be relying on Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen at the back.
A top-quality replacement for the Belgian would also be needed and in reality Tottenham really need to be keeping hold of their top players if Mauricio Pochettino’s ambitions for the club are to be realised.
With Alderweireld, it is looking likely that the transfer saga will go down to the wire and not be resolved one way or the other until close to the end of the window.