The former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Toby Alderweireld has delivered a frank and detailed assessment of Spurs’ defensive options heading into the new season.
Alderweireld is well qualified to speak on the matter, having won six league titles across three countries and appeared 236 times in a Tottenham shirt during his career.
The 37-year-old Belgian also played at three World Cups, two European Championships, and featured in two Champions League finals before retiring.
Spurs are set for significant defensive rebuilding this summer under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, with left-back Andy Robertson already confirmed on a free transfer.
Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi is expected to follow, while Tottenham have also held talks over signing Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.
Both Senesi and Van Hecke won their respective clubs’ player of the season awards, with Van Hecke claiming his at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
“They both know the Premier League. That’s good, because I think Spurs now need stability,” Alderweireld said, adding that proven Premier League performers give the club greater security going into the new campaign.
“Because next season, it’s impossible that we go back to this [awful] period,” he continued, stressing the importance of building on proven quality rather than gambling on unproven arrivals.
Alderweireld was also clear on the type of character Tottenham need, referencing PSG’s failed approach of assembling star names without the hunger to match their talent.
“I want players that the desire is there to improve,” he said, pointing to Harry Kane, Sonny, Eric Dier, and Wanyama as examples of players who put the team first during Spurs’ most successful recent spell.
The arrival of both Senesi and Van Hecke could squeeze out teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic, the 19-year-old who spent last season on loan at Hamburg and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.
Vuskovic’s impressive performances have attracted interest from clubs including Barcelona and Bayern Munich, with his value now reported to be somewhere between £50million and £60million.
Alderweireld faced Vuskovic during his time at Antwerp and believes the Croatian has the tools to succeed, though he cautioned that the right environment is critical for his development.
“I played against him in Belgium. He played for Westerlo. He was, of course, a very good defender. He was very aggressive in the opposite box with corners. So he’s got a good header and he has a nose for goals,” Alderweireld said.
He drew a comparison to Willian Pacho, who barely played before Alderweireld’s influence at Antwerp helped him develop into a player who has since won the Champions League twice.
“If you’re someone who’s a leader, a leader not only with talking, then why not? Why not give him a chance? He proved in Belgium he was good. In the Bundesliga, he was good,” Alderweireld added.
On the topic of defensive partnerships, Alderweireld highlighted his own relationship with Jan Vertonghen as the gold standard, and even reluctantly praised Arsenal’s centre-back pairing as a model worth emulating.
“That’s something, at Spurs, we need to get as quickly as possible to get a good partnership as centre-backs,” he said, underlining how crucial cohesion is at the back.
Turning to captain Cristian Romero, who has been linked with a summer departure following De Zerbi’s reluctance to confirm his future, Alderweireld gave a measured but pointed verdict.
“He’s an unbelievable player. Very aggressive. When he’s on his level he can beat any striker,” he said, before raising concerns about the Argentine’s decision-making in difficult moments.
Alderweireld pointed specifically to a red card at Old Trafford as a moment that illustrated his reservations about Romero’s ability to consistently lead when it matters most.
“Sometimes those things, it doesn’t help the team. Especially in difficult moments, real leaders, they get to the level of thinking ‘now we’re going to help the team’,” he said, adding: “He wasn’t always there when the club needed him.”
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