One of the latest pieces of transfer gossip doing the rounds is the possibility that we may be signing Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld but while it is, of course, feasible it simply is not going to happen in my opinion.
Some may question what is the point about writing about a player rumoured to be wanted by Arsenal but very unlikely to sign for us but we cannot ignore this particular rumour, not when it involves a Tottenham player.
For starters, it appears to have originated in the Sun, hardly a paragon for accuracy, and second, there is not even an unnamed source quoted to rely on.
Let’s be realistic, as things stand right now we cannot offer Alderweireld wages above what Spurs could offer him, we cannot guarantee him success any more than what Tottenham can, we cannot even guarantee Champions League football right now.
This is not a repeat of the Sol Campbell situation when we could easily offer him those things, today it is a very different set of circumstances.
The Belgium defender is 30-years-old and at that age only two things will force him out of Tottenham, the last chance of silverware or a huge end of career wage package. We cannot offer him either of those and we have to be realistic about that, Man Utd could offer him at least a stupendous wage. Man City could offer him both without batting an eyelid. We cannot.
So, while this rumour is fun reading and something for us to wind up our bitter local rivals about, it is not something, in my opinion, to be taken seriously.