Jermaine Jenas has hinted Tottenham should consider selling Toby Alderweireld to Manchester United, suggesting it would be the best option for his former club.
Alderweireld is expected to leave Spurs this summer after failing to agree terms on a new contract earlier this year.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Alderweireld, although reports claim Spurs and United are not currently in talks over a deal for the 29-year-old.
Regardless, the Belgian defender is unlikely to remain a Tottenham player beyond the summer.
And Jenas thinks his former club should consider selling Alderweireld to United, despite previous comments suggesting the opposite.
“I have changed my mind on this issue,” he told Yahoo.
“I love Toby, he is a phenomenal player and Tottenham are better when he is in the team, but he is approaching his 30th birthday and I know how Daniel Levy operates at Spurs when a player gets towards that age.
“The wage demands, what they can afford and where they need to prioritise and maybe Alderweireld doesn’t fit into that structure.
“Also, when I said that Spurs had to do everything they could to hang on to Alderweireld, I was not thinking Davinson Sanchez would have had as good as season as he has just had.
“That Spurs defence looked pretty solid for most of the campaign and Sanchez was a key part of that, so the club may look at how much it would cost to keep Alderweireld and believe they have a better value for money option in Sanchez. In many respects, I probably agree with that.
“I would love Toby to stay because I believe he is the best defender in the world when he is right at it, but we will see where it goes from here. I’m sure there will be plenty of big clubs trying to sign him, with Manchester United believed to be among those.”
Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly been promised increased transfer funds this summer in order to overhaul his squad.
Alderweireld’s exit will likely kickstart Tottenham’s summer business, and Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has been mooted as a potential replacement.
If Alderweireld is to leave, Spurs would be wise to get the transfer over and done with quickly so that it doesn’t become a saga.
The Alderweireld transfer rumours have already become a saga and one nor likely to be resolved quickly.Spurs have offered him an extended and increased contract but he is hoping to get more, in what is likely his final 3 year contract. While Spurs wants him to stay; we have some coverage if he goes. Mourinho knows that Man U needs someone of Toby’s quality and was ready to pay the price and negotiate an increased salary. That, in itself should have made it a done deal. Unfortunately, however, Woodward handles the purse strings for Man U. He is a poor negotiator, who is risk averse and is afraid to make a decision. In all likelihood. Woodward will stall, posture and prevaricate until someone else comes for Alderweireld or he signs a new deal with Spurs.
Former Tottenham star???
If his valuation is around £55,000,000 at 29 and some club are willing to cough up that fee then sell no second thoughts bit their arm off good business , there has got to be an equally as good a defender as Alderweireld out there for less wages and a smaller transfer fee making a cool profit and Levy not only knows this but this is the way he works get rid Alderweireld is greedy for his last 3 year contract , but pleeeeeeeeeeeeese no Stones .