Spurs Star Holding Out for Bumper Contract After Seeing Van Dijk Pocket 180k-a-Week at Liverpool

Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld's contract impasse with the Spurs hierarchy looks likely to see the Belgian depart this summer, according to reports.

The Times claimed on Friday that Alderweireld and the club are around £40,000-a-week apart in their negotiations, with Spurs now willing to let the star leave rather than break their notoriously rigid wage structure.

The Belgian centre-half is currently on a weekly wage of £50,000, and is reportedly determined to treble his current wage packet, after seeing Virgil van Dijk bag himself a £180,000-a-week deal at Liverpool.

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Tottenham meanwhile have reportedly given the Belgian a 'take it or leave it' offer of £110,000-a-week.

There is no doubt that Alderweireld will have plenty of clubs willing to pay the wage he demands, and Tottenham are reportedly more inclined to sell than give in to his request.

Tottenham fans may begin to grow frustrated with the club's wage structure if incidents like this continue. The North London club lost a key player in the summer in Kyle Walker, and almost lost Danny Rose too, who made it clear what he thought of the wage system in place. 

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If Spurs continue to struggle to bring silverware to the club and keep strictly limiting their players wages, it is easy to see them losing more key men and they will not want a reputation of being a selling club.

Losing Alderweireld would be an especially big blow to Tottenham because the towering Belgian has been key to the defensive success of Spurs in recent times and is arguably one of the leagues top defenders.

What is even more worrying for Tottenham fans is that if he does leave the club, it may well be to a direct rival which will further hamper their chances of future domestic success.