Tottenham have become a regular in the Premier League top-four in recent years. Mauricio Pochettino’s team also made it to the Champions League final last season, where they, of course, lost to English top-flight rivals, Liverpool.
They have made a mixed start to the new top-flight campaign and something doesn’t seem right at the north London club.
For all the positives in recent seasons, there is a big cloud hanging over Tottenham. The cloud is the fact that three key players are all out of contract next summer in Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen.
The former pair look unlikely to sign new deals after turning down numerous offers, while Vertonghen’s situation is unknown. The uncertainty over all three players seems to have effected boss Pochettino’s thinking.
Last season Alderweireld found himself out of the team after failing to agree on terms of a new deal with his contract expiring in the summer.
View this post on Instagram The NLD t-minus 2days! 💪🏻 #COYS A post shared by Toby Alderweireld (@tobyalderweireld) on Aug 30, 2019 at 8:30am PDT
The NLD t-minus 2days! 💪🏻 #COYS
A post shared by Toby Alderweireld (@tobyalderweireld) on Aug 30, 2019 at 8:30am PDT
However, Spurs had an option to extend his deal by another year which they took up. Alderweireld was once again restored to the team at the start of the season but is likely to leave as a free agent next summer.
The 30-year-old had previously forged one of the most solid central defensive partnerships in the Premier League with Vertonghen. Spurs boss Pochettino also decided to leave out Vertonghen and Eriksen earlier this season, only for the pair to return to the starting line-up.
All three players are professionals, so will no doubt give their all for Spurs this season. However, the situation is bound to affect them subconsciously. Eriksen stated he wanted a new challenge in the summer and has been consistently linked with a switch to Real Madrid.
Tottenham returns to Premier League action this weekend with a home game against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur. All three are likely to start the game. However, it seems that all three could be in their final season with the club from north London, which would be a major blow for Spurs.