(Photo credit: Дмитрий Голубович)
Toby Alderweireld, when fit, faces a tough battle to regain his starting place in the Tottenham eleven.
The Belgian's recent injury-enforced absence caused manager Mauricio Pochettino has taken to Davinson Sanchez’s partnership with Jan Vertonghen.
Alderweireld’s new contract talks have reached a dead end, with the 6 foot 2 inch defender reportedly demanding a £40,000 per week improvement on Tottenham's initial offer as rumours continue to circulate suggesting the central defender has now become a disposable asset.
Owing to a contractual clause, Antwerp-born Alderweireld can be bought for £25 million in the summer of 2019, a price tag which has alerted a host of top European clubs to the 28-year-old's availability, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City.
But if the Belgian international leaves for pastures new, Pochettino will be left somewhat short of quality central defensive options with Eric Dier and Kyle Walker-Peters as backup to Vertonghen and Sanchez.
So who should Pochettino sign to fix Spurs' potential defensive shortage?