Arsenal legend Perry Groves has backed his former club to sign defender Toby Alderweireld from cross town rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Former Arsenal star and club legend Perry Groves, in an interview with Sporting Bet, has tipped the North London outfit to make an audacious swoop to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld in the summer, with the defender also the subject of interest from Chelsea.
The Belgian international is understood to be on his way out of Tottenham, after having failed to agree new contract terms with the club. And Groves, who made over 150 appearances for Arsenal between 1986 and 1992, winning four major honours, has backed his former club to make a move for the defender.
“Toby Alderweireld would be my dream signing for Arsenal this summer. I think he’s one of the best central defenders in the Premier League and I would love us to take advantage of his contract situation at Tottenham. It would be hilarious.”
The last time Arsenal snatched a player away from Tottenham was back in 2001, when centre-back Sol Campbell decided to make the controversial switch and went on to attain greatness with the Gunners. And Groves believes Alderweireld too could follow the same path.
Arsenal have once again been found wanting at the back this season, with the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny not offering the solidity needed at this level on a consistent basis.
Young defenders Rob Holding and Calum Chambers too have had indifferent seasons, prompting the Gunners to scour the market for defensive reinforcements ahead of the next season. And the 29-year old Alderweireld could be the perfect solution to solve their woes at the back.
The 74-time capped Belgian international has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the English top-flight since moving to Tottenham from Atletico Madrid back in the summer of 2015. The 29-year old has played a huge role in Spurs’ rise under manager Mauricio Pochettino over the past couple of seasons.
However, with the Lilywhites not willing to meet his contract demands, the Belgian is understood to be considering an exit from the club at the end of the season.
A host of clubs have been alerted by this development, with the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all said to be interested in taking the Belgian international away from Tottenham in the summer.
And more recently, Tottenham’s fellow London rivals, Chelsea, too were reported to have joined the bandwagon and are apparently planning a £45 million swoop for Alderweireld.
The Blues could most definitely do with signing the 29-year old given that David Luiz could be headed out of the club in the summer, while captain Gary Cahill has been on the decline and summer signing Antonio Rudiger hasn’t exactly pulled up any trees since arriving from AS Roma.
Injuries and his contract situation may have curtailed Alderweireld from being heavily involved in the 2017-18 season – he has featured only 18 times across all competitions for Spurs.
But, there are no doubts over his quality and signing him would prove to be hugely beneficial to both Arsenal and Chelsea. However, with other European giants also in the fray, a transfer war could very well be on the cards for the 29-year old.
