Tottenham star Toby Alderweireld is reportedly close to agreeing on a new 5-year deal at White Hart Lane. The new deal will see the club wipe out the release clause on Alderweireld’s current contract, which has a release clause of £25 million that can be triggered by clubs in 2019.

Now that a new deal is being discussed, the release clause in the current contract would be removed and this means that Tottenham need not worry about losing their star defender for a low price.

Though there is no immediate danger of losing Toby Alderweireld, it looks like Tottenham do not want to delay the contract talks with the defender, as there would be only one year left on his contract by the end of this season. This seems to be a wise move as Pochettino views Alderweireld as an integral part of his future plans. The Belgium International has been a rock at the back for Spurs this season and it is hard to see why Mauricio Pochettino would want to let him run down his contract at the club.

It is a safe choice for Tottenham to begin negotiations early and not cause any delays. Spurs have already tied down the long-term futures of a host of their top stars in recent months, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris all signing fresh deals. This only indicates that Spurs are preparing themselves for their stadium move by tying down their star players to new contracts. It is very important for Tottenham to hold on to their star players as they may face financial restrictions to build a team when they move to their new stadium.

The core of the team looks strong and hence it is a good move from Spurs to offer long-term deals to their star players.

Alderweireld was substituted during Tottenham’s win over Stoke on Sunday, but Mauricio Pochettino insisted it was purely precautionary amid fears of injury. He will certainly be available for Tottenham’s game against Everton, as the manager suggested that both Alderweireld and Vertonghen have enough time to recover for the team’s next game.