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Tottenham Hotspur are ready to sell Belgian international defender Toby Alderweireld to Roma, as they try and entice the Serie A club to part with the highly-rated Nicolo Zaniolo.
The 20-year old midfielder, who has already broken through into the Italian national side, is one of manager Mauricio Pochettino’s top summer targets, and whilst Roma are reluctant to sell him, they could be tempted if the right offer comes their way.
Alderweireld, who was heavily courted by Manchester United last summer, has one year remaining on his contract in North London, after Spurs triggered an extension to his current deal. However, the extension contains a release clause which means that he can leave for £25 million this summer, provided that another club exercises it before July 25th.
There has been no definite interest in him expressed since the end of the season but Tottenham are hoping that, with Roma seeking a replacement for the departed Kostas Manolas, a deal can be done that sees Zaniolo head to White Hart lane in exchange for Alderweireld and some cash to make up the difference.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.