Tottenham transfer news: Mauricio Pochettino says Spurs will trigger Toby Alderweireld’s contract extension

The clause extends the Belgian centre-back’s contract until 2020 but includes a two-week period this summer where can leave Tottenham for a cut-price £25m

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Tottenham will trigger a clause in Toby Alderweireld’s contract to extend the Belgian’s deal until the summer of 2020.

Alderweireld’s current contract was set to expire in the summer, meaning overseas clubs would have been free to negotiate with the defender from January.

The extension does however include a cut-price release clause of just £25m for the 29-year-old.

Alderweireld was a well-publicised target of Jose Mourinho’s last summer and saw his status fall within the Spurs squad at the start of this season having pushed for a move to Manchester United, but has since re-cemented a starting berth ahead of Davison Sanchez.

”Yes, for sure,” Pochettino said when pushed about the extension. “It is obvious. It is the same situation as Jan [Vertonghen].”

Spurs exercised the same clause in Vertonghen’s contract earlier this month. The 31-year-old was a stalwart of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven last season, but has only played 175 Premier League minutes since suffering a hamstring injury in September.

With the January window opening in a matter of days, Pochettino said that he speaks to club chairman Daniel Levy and chief scout Steve Hitchin every day about transfers but that it “would not be easy to add players” in the upcoming window.

“Yes maybe every day we talk,” Pochettino continued. “But it depends on if players are going to leave, and to have space to sign players. It depends on players out and then we’re going to see if we can add some quality to help the team. But I think it’s not going to be easy to add players in January. For sure it’s going to be tough to add.

Vertonghen has only played 175 Premier League minutes since September (Getty)

“Until the market is open it’s difficult to talk because now we have a lot of games to play. But for sure in January when the market is going to be open that’s the moment when we’re going to talk with different players – players that maybe come to talk with us because they want to leave or they want to play more.

“I told you before, we’re always open but it’s going to be difficult – maybe not impossible but difficult, yes.”