In a somewhat contentious move, Tottenham Hotspur fought off competition from Southampton last week to land Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld.
Speaking to the north London club’s official site in the wake of his transfer, Alderweireld – who had previously looked poised to make a permanent switch to Southampton – cited Spurs’ strong Belgian contingent as a major factor in his decision:
“I’m very proud to become a Spurs player. I’m very happy to be here and I hope to have a wonderful time with this team. From the beginning I knew a lot about it (the club) from Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Nacer Chadli. It’s a big club and it’s always been a dream to play at a club like Spurs. I know the players from the national team and I played with Jan at Ajax; we had a central defensive partnership. It’s nice when you join another club that you know a couple of players.”
The History
Brought up in Antwerp, Belgium, Alderweireld trained at the youth academy of local club Germinal Beerschot for five years before making the switch to Ajax in 2004. Having earned his senior debut midway through the 2008/09 season, he went on to become a regular starter the following campaign, notching two goals and a pair of assists in 31 league outings. Playing alongside Vertonghen in central defence, Alderweireld was named as the Ajax Talent of the Year.
In his next three seasons at the Amsterdam Arena, Alderweireld chalked up five goals and six assists across 88 league appearances, with the Eredivisie giants claiming a trio of successive title wins during that period. The Belgium international subsequently courted attention from a host of European clubs in the summer of 2013, ultimately resulting in a move to Atletico Madrid.
With Miranda and Diego Godin forming Diego Simeone’s first choice centre-back pairing throughout the 2013/14 La Liga season, Alderweireld was restricted to just 10 starts (one goal). In pursuit of first-team football, he then teamed up with Southampton on a year-long loan deal prior to the start of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign. In 26 starts for the Saints, Alderweireld greatly impressed but mustered just a single goal in terms of attacking returns.
Alderweireld has represented Belgium at every level and been a regular starter in the senior squad since 2011, notching one goal in 48 appearances. In light of the fact that Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen are the preferred centre-back partnership, Spurs’ latest recruit primarily operates as a right-back for the Red Devils.
The Prospects
Notwithstanding the recent arrival of Austrian centre-back Kevin Wimmer at White Hart Lane, Alderweireld looks tailor-made to partner his countryman Vertonghen in central defence. Considering that a criticism oft levelled at Spurs’ rearguard last term was their lack of communication and understanding, the duo’s experience playing alongside each other at Ajax should stand them in good stead.
Delving into his Fantasy prospects, Alderweireld’s frequency of attempts (one every 131.8 minutes) was only bettered by Danny Rose (103.7 minutes) among the Lilywhites squad last term, while no Spurs defender trumped his seven shots on target. Nonetheless, given that Rose recorded three goals and four assists in the previous campaign – executing key passes (one every 92 minutes) at over three times the rate of Alderweireld (339 minutes) – the much-improved left-back presents a greater case for inclusion.
If new recruit Kieran Trippier can earn a starting berth in pre-season, his underlying statistics portend a strong attacking output. The ex-Clarets star fashioned key passes (one every 57 minutes) at over twice the rate of incumbent right-back Kyle Walker (125.4 minutes). Furthermore, he carded more than double the volume of successful crosses (91) than Spurs’ full roster of defenders mustered last season (43), illustrating his potential to assist the likes of Harry Kane.
Crucially, though, the 5.0-priced Alderweireld is cheaper than Rose, Trippier and Vertonghen and could appeal to those who reckon Pochettino’s side will prove more resilient this time around. Certainly, considering that Spurs tallied just nine clean sheets, ranked fifth-bottom for goals conceded (53) and conceded the second highest number of big chances (74) over the course of the season, it’s fair to say there is plenty of room for improvement. Pochettino helped Southampton rack up 15 clean sheets in 2013/14 before moving to the Lane, so there’s hope that Alderweireld’s arrival can help remedy their backline woes.
An opening day trip to United, allied with a Gameweek 6 clash against City may deter many from investing in the Tottenham backline, though with three kind home clashes (STO, EVE, CPL) allied with trips to Leicester and Sunderland over that period, we should get an idea of their potential.
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