Barcelona consider move for Toby Alderweireld in January
The Tottenham centre-back is another potential target for Barcelona in January.
Barcelona’s injury crisis has highlighted the shortcomings in the centre-back area because two injuries have taken away any of the depth in that area. They are having to rely on an error-prone Gerard Pique and summer signing Clement Lenglet, although the French defender has proven to be a solid addition, aside from the elbow against Girona which was a contentious decision.
An injury to one of those two within the next six weeks — which is the estimated timeframe for Thomas Vermaelen to return while Samuel Umtiti is likely to be out longer — would see a B team player called up with Jorge Cuenca the most likely candidate.
Bringing in another centre-back in January would stop this being a potential issue for the rest of the season, which is important due to the due to key matches such as the Champions League knockout stages being in the second half of the season.
According to The Mirror, Barcelona are interested in Toby Alderweireld due to his contract situation as well as his reputation as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. His contract runs out in 2019, but there is an option to extend that by a year which activates a £25 million release clause for the last two weeks of the 2019 summer transfer window. Therefore, Tottenham could be tempted into selling him in January in order to get a fee close to what his talent deserves.
Alderweireld has worked his way back into the first team set-up after being left out last season due to disagreements over his future, however, he appears unlikely to sign a new contract. At 29-years-old, he wouldn’t be a long-term option; he does have plenty of experience, though, so he could adapt quickly. The Belgian defender has played in the Champions League, World Cup and La Liga as well as the Premier League, therefore, he has the calibre to thrive at a top European club.
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Manchester United are also after him, although their status as one of Tottenham’s direct rivals means that Spurs would prefer to sell him to someone abroad such as Barcelona. The main issue with this potential move is how it would affect Barcelona’s pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt. Assuming they sign both of them and Vermaelen leaves by the start of next season, this leaves the club with five talented centre-backs. Pique could take on a lesser role as he starts his decline, but he’s unlikely to be happy about that and selling him would antagonise the fanbase as well as making the board even more unpopular.
This is an excellent short-term fix, however, the long-term implications are not so clear. The club can’t afford to lose out on a prospect like De Ligt, so that has to be kept in mind with this transfer.
Next. Barcelona continue scouting Polish sensation Krzysztof Piątek. dark
Having five centre-backs makes a back three the best way to maximise resources, but Barcelona have generally looked shaky in that set-up, aside from the historic 6-1 win over PSG. Quique Setien is a manager experienced at using back three formations while maintaining a short passing possession-based philosophy, so he could be a key appointment if Ernesto Valverde opts to leave at the end of the season.