Toby Alderweireld Says He Is 'Happy' at Tottenham as Contract Runs Down

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is happy at the club after a busy start to the season but has left the door open for a potential departure. 

The Belgium international stayed put in north London despite widespread rumours he would depart in the summer, but his contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign.

He has returned to Mauricio Pochettino's starting XI and said he is happy at Spurs while he is playing regularly, per Alex Young in the Evening Standard: "I feel good, play a lot right now and, therefore, am happy. We shall see."

Despite his consistent excellence since joining Spurs in 2015, Alderweireld was surprisingly underused last term, starting only 13 Premier League games.

As a result he was heavily linked with a number of clubs during the recent transfer window, including Manchester United:

He stayed put, though, and in 2018-19, he has started seven of Spurs' eight games in the English top flight, an indication he has Pochettino's trust again.

While that is a step in the right direction if the 29-year-old is going to stay at the club beyond 2019, Spurs need to get him signed to a new deal if they want to keep him.

Per Young, the club has the option of extending his deal by a further year, but that would activate a £25 million release clause during the final two weeks of the summer 2019 transfer window, a relative steal for a centre-back of Alderweireld's quality.

United would likely be interested in getting the Belgium international at that price given they are plagued with defensive issues and have conceded 14 league goals already this season.

Losing Alderweireld to a direct rival for such a low fee would be a huge blow for Spurs, and they need to try to get him to commit his future to the club while he continues to play a key role in the back line.