Tottenham have opened talks with Toby Alderweireld’s advisors about a new deal to move their defender closer to the club’s top earners.

Although Alderweireld is under contract until 2020, he has been one of the club’s best players since his move from Atletico Madrid in summer 2015, and Tottenham are keen to reward him for his excellent performances.

In a separate development, Spurs insist none of their first-team players has a release clause in their contracts despite explosive claims that Alderweireld can be bought for £25.4million. Any talks over a new deal have no bearing on the claim by whistleblowers Football Leaks, as Spurs are adamant Alderweireld has no such arrangement in his current deal.

Certain details of Alderweireld’s terms of employment at Tottenham were revealed in Belgian newspaper Le Soir, though the part of the contract containing the ‘release clause’ has yet to be published.

If Spurs and Alderweireld agree a contract extension, it is believed his salary would climb to about £70,000 a week, similar to that of Christian Eriksen but less than those of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris.

Alderweireld joined Spurs from Atletico for a little more than £11m. He helped the team fight for the title last season, though they eventually finished third.

Football Leaks documents suggest that Alderweireld’s annual salary is 3.1million euros — about £50,000 per week by today’s exchange rates. That puts him below other key first-teamers like Kane, Lloris, Eriksen, Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Jan Vertonghen, Kyle Walker and Erik Lamela.

'The Pochettino new contract pose' 15 show all 'The Pochettino new contract pose' 1/15 Hugo Lloris Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 2/15 Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 3/15 Eric Dier Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 4/15 Christian Eriksen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 5/15 Danny Rose Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 6/15 Harry Winks Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 7/15 Harry Winks (again) Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 8/15 Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 9/15 Jan Vertonghen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 10/15 Michel Vorm and goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 11/15 Tom Carroll Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 12/15 Kyle Walker Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 13/15 Cameron Carter-Vickers Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 14/15 Kyle Walker-Peters Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/15 Kyle Walker-Peters (again) Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 1/15 Hugo Lloris Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 2/15 Dele Alli Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 3/15 Eric Dier Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 4/15 Christian Eriksen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 5/15 Danny Rose Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 6/15 Harry Winks Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 7/15 Harry Winks (again) Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 8/15 Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 9/15 Jan Vertonghen Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 10/15 Michel Vorm and goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 11/15 Tom Carroll Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 12/15 Kyle Walker Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 13/15 Cameron Carter-Vickers Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 14/15 Kyle Walker-Peters Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/15 Kyle Walker-Peters (again) Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images

There are also details of a £260,000 bonus due to Alderweireld if Spurs qualify for the Champions League and he plays at least 30 games in the relevant season, plus £470,000 in image rights. According to Football Leaks, Alderweireld also collects a £5,000 bonus for every first-team appearance he makes.

Alderweireld is currently fighting his way back to full fitness after an absence of nearly two months due to a damaged nerve in his knee, sustained in the 1-1 draw at West Brom on October 15. The centre-back completed two double training sessions last week but was not risked in the 5-0 win over Swansea in the Premier League.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino must now decide whether to use Alderweireld in tomorrow’s Champions League meeting with CSKA Moscow at Wembley, or save him for the Premier League game at Manchester United on Sunday.



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