Toby Aldeweireld the Right Man to Reinvigorate Tottenham's Defence

Southampton defender Toby Alderweireld has declared his wish to unite with international teammate Jan Vertonghen at club level. 

Former teammates at Ajax, Alderweireld and Vertonghen were partners as the club racked up domestic titles. 

The idea of uniting the Belgian defenders at Tottenham must be an appealing one for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. 

Southampton reportedly have a £6.8 million clause that would allow them to turn Alderweireld's loan into a permanent move, but Atletico can buy out that option for an additional £1.5 million. 

Were Atleti to do so, they could sell to the highest bidder, and Spurs would be able to outbid Saints if they were so inclined. 

Alderweireld has made 18 starts in the Premier League this season but despite his injury issues has been an excellent player for Saints. 

When he and fellow Belgian international teammate Vertonghen have combined, they have been part of a highly effective unit

Vertonghen, something of an enigma at Spurs, has been touted by some as a future captain but criticised by others for a perceived lack of passion. There is certainly no doubting Vertonghen's talent, though. 

Once the captain of Ajax, Vertonghen is indisputably a leader on the pitch, but he can lose focus. 

Tottenham have two options with Vertonghen. They could sell him or try to find somebody to restore his former brilliance. If Alderweireld can be the man to bring him back to his best, Spurs would have found the perfect solution to a complex problem.

Alderweireld himself his given a clear indication of his preferred destination, telling journalists that "a transfer will be arranged later, not now. Atletico will decide my future, but I would like to stay in the Premier League. That some of the big clubs show interest proves I’m doing well."

Unless he is urging Southampton to move for Vertonghen, he is clearly advocating a reunion at White Hart Lane. 

Alderweireld is clearly a Premier League-quality defender. His contributions to Atletico's season in 2013-14, where he made just 18 starts in all competitions, were narrow but significant. He came into his own late last season and is a European Cup winner. 

Tottenham should push to sign Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid in the summer. In a perfect world, Spurs would not jettison their pursuit of Kevin Wimmer, which I wrote about earlier in the week following a report by Eurosport. 

Wimmer is one for the future, whereas Alderweireld is one for right now. If Tottenham's transfer budget only stretches to one of the two, they should sign the ideal partner for Vertonghen rather than his eventual replacement. 

Tottenham's defence is in desperate need of maturity. Eric Dier will develop into an excellent central defender but remains prone to errors, and the 6'2" defender still needs to learn when to use his considerable physical size.

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Alderweireld would give Pochettino a footballing alternative to the ultra-aggressive Federico Fazio and facilitate the guiltless sale of both Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches.

Those deals would leave Spurs with five legitimate first-team options at centre-back and provide Pochettino with a variety of options. This would enable him to select his defence with specificity. Tailoring his defence to the opposition is something that has eluded Pochettino so far in his debut season. While this is partly down to choice, his lack of alternatives to the first-choice pairing of Vertonghen and Davies was also to blame.

Tottenham's defensive woes are largely to blame for their league position. Spurs have been largely competitive in the race for the Premier League's top four despite having a below-par defence. 

The signing of Toby Alderweireld would give confidence to Vertonghen and produce an immediately stable option at centre-back. Re-uniting the former Ajax partners would allow Pochettino to turn his coaching eye to problems higher up the pitch. 

Pochettino is an excellent coach but one with limited time. The signing of Alderweireld would save him valuable hours on the training pitch while allowing Spurs' defence to improve. 

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This signing is an obvious one. It makes Spurs stronger while, essentially, weakening a top-four rival. 

Tottenham should sign Alderweireld because it will make their best defender better, improve their back four's confidence and provide their manager with more flexible options. 

If Alderweireld is truly available for a fee in the region of £10 million, Tottenham must be at the front of the queue. It is too good of a deal to pass up.