Chelsea are reportedly offering Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld double his current salary in order to persuade him to join them.
It’s been a difficult summer for Spurs, as aside from losing Kyle Walker to Manchester City they also had to deal with Danny Rose’s public outburst.
While they’ve since boosted morale with a win over Newcastle United in their Premier League season opener and have all-but confirmed the signing of Davinson Sanchez, there could be another problem around the corner.
According to The Times, as reported by The Sun, Chelsea have made an enquiry about Alderweireld’s interest in leaving with issues over his wages being cited as the reason why.
The 28-year-old has three years left on his current contract which pays him just £49,000-a-week, and it’s added that chairman Daniel Levy is refusing to increase his deal to the club’s £80,000-a-week maximum.
Enter Chelsea, who are willing to double his current salary as Antonio Conte continues to look to bolster his squad ahead of the deadline on August 31.
Even though it’s claimed that discussions are not progressing well between Alderweireld and Tottenham, it’s difficult to see them selling him this summer, particularly not to a direct rival.
Naturally, if the reports are true that there is discontent there over his contract, then that’s not a good sign. However, Spurs are still in a strong position to keep hold of him for now and perhaps discuss a new deal further down the line.
In turn, while the idea of joining Chelsea, winning trophies and earning more money could appeal to him, there’s a number of reasons to stay at Tottenham too as Mauricio Pochettino’s side continue to compete at the top and make real progress.