The Toby story

It is worth pointing out right at the start I do not work for the club.  I have put this piece together however based on conversations I have had with some that do and also various press pieces.  We all roll our eyes at the press nowadays as journalism has been replaced by click bait “writers” who do not fact check just post nonsense every day.

However there are some journalists who have excellent connections to the club and if you have been doing this as long as I have you learn which ones speak the truth and which ones belong on Talk Sport.

toby-v-cska

Toby Alderweireld was signed from Atletico Madrid after he impressed in the Premier League on loan at Southampton.  The club bore the wrath of the Saints by jumping in to sign Toby and we only paid circa £12m for the player.

Toby was reunited at Spurs with former Ajax team mates Christian Eriksen and fellow countrymen Jan Vertonghen.  Super Jan and Toby having played together since they were young teenagers in the Ajax academy.  The two formed an incredible partnership making Spurs defence the best in the Premier League for the first time in our history.

The exact figure a player is paid is always thrown around by the press but one of the things I always try to explain to people is Tottenham do not just pay a basic flat rate, there are always bonuses built in so the players get more based on their performances so when I quote a figure here is approximate.

So, Toby at Spurs since signing earns circa £50,000 a week which was a good wage when he signed for him however built into his contract was a clause where if we wanted to execute a final year in his deal he would have a release clause of £25m.

Toby

Now this clause has been massively miss reported a lot so lets clear this up.  I have seen the contract and read the clause.  It is clear.  If Tottenham extend Toby’s existing deal (current contract runs out in June 2019, the option to extend would take it on the same pay rate to June 2020).

IF the club extended it then when the summer transfer window opens in 2020 Toby would be available for ANY club to sign for £25m – any offer of that amount would trigger the clause and we would have to accept (even Arsenal or Chelsea) and the player could leave.

Any transfer for that £25m however would have to be done before the final two weeks of the transfer window but for that money it would be wrapped up pretty quickly anyway one would imagine.

So with the clause all cleared up lets get back to focus on what has happened with the club trying to retain the player.  A timeline of events and why he is now leaving us….

toby alderweireld

The club opened negotiations with Toby’s representatives in December 2017 making an initial offer of circa £80,000 per week however it was made clear by the players agent he would not consider any deal that did not reflect the fact Toby had been the best central defender in the league for the last two seasons.

According to multiple sources and a statement from his agency to Belgian press they pointed out salaries of defenders at clubs below Spurs all earning more and wanted to see pay above that.

Talks were ongoing and a deal was DONE.  This is the key thing everyone needs to know, a deal was done and hands shaken between the club and the players agent where Toby would sign a deal making him the highest paid player at the club on circa £125,000 per week.

Toby Alderweireld

It was leaked online everywhere that the deal was done, pictures were being taken by the club for promotion and then suddenly everyone walked away.  Silence.  Why?  Liverpool announced the signing of Virgil Van Dijk and in all of that news came the fact he was being paid £180,000 per week.

Toby’s agents returned to Spurs demanding that figure.  Daniel Levy pointed out deal was done at £125,000 and he would not be raising that.  The two sides talked for two days then all parties walked away.

In the background to this Toby was injured, his second serious injury in two years.  Pochettino adapted tactics to having two central defenders again with Sanchez and Super Jan and the team continued having a good season.  The decision was made between Poch and Daniel that the offer to Toby would remain on the table and it would be take it or leave it.

toby-injury

As the season ended Toby’s people made it clear they would not sign and so the club are now looking to sell.  We can debate who we sell him to until the cows come home however the reality is whoever is willing to pay what we want is going to sign him.  The player will earn closer to £200,000 a week at either Manchester club and we will move on like we always have when a player has left.

Due to Toby’s injury young Sanchez has a Premier League season under his belt and at just 21 is only getting better so we have a ready made replacement.

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