Chelsea told to target ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender as cheaper alternative to De Ligt
Chelsea have been told to target former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Toby Alderweireld as a cheaper alternative to Matthijs de Ligt.
Juventus defender De Ligt is being heavily linked with a move to the Premier League. Chelsea and Man Utd are being linked with him.
It is said that a bid between €80-90m ‘could make the difference’ for clubs interested in the Dutchman.
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Alderweireld meanwhile spent six years at Tottenham between 2015 and 2021. He played 174 times in the Premier League during this spell.
The Belgium international was included in the PFA Team of the Year in 2015/16 and he was a reliable operator for Spurs.
The 33-year-old departed the Londoners last summer to sign Qatari side Al-Duhail.
Ex-Chelsea defender Glen Johnson thinks Alderweireld “could surprise a lot of people” if he joined his former club:
“I know it’s going to sound a bit out there but I would say Toby Alderweireld,” Johnson told GGRecon (via The Express).
“Who used to be at Tottenham. He’s not going to cost much, he knows the Premier League, he’s a good footballer, and I think in a proper team he could surprise a lot of people.
“Other than that, I think it’s actually quite weak. If you had a gun to your head and someone said ‘Outside of the obvious, who are the best three centre-backs in the world?’ I think it would be very difficult.”
Meanwhile, Petr Cech is to leave his role as Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor as the new ownership continue their shake-up of the club.
The former goalkeeper spent 11 seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge before returning after a spell at Arsenal to take up his current role in 2019.
Following the takeover by the Todd Boehly-led consortium there have been a number of key departures announced, including former chairman Bruce Buck and sporting director Marina Granovskaia.
“It has been a huge privilege to perform this role at Chelsea for the past three years,” Cech said in a statement.
“With the club under new ownership, I feel now is the right time for me to step aside.
“I am pleased that the club is now in an excellent position with the new owners, and I am confident of its future success both on and off the pitch.”
