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Pochettino: 'Not my job' to negotiate Alderweireld contract

Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Mauricio Pochettino told reporters he's playing no part in negotiating a new deal for Toby Alderweireld.

Matt Hughes of The Times claimed Tottenham Hotspur was considering cashing in on the Belgian after reaching a deadlock in contract discussions. Alderweireld is apparently holding out for a salary worth £150,000 per week, but Spurs are reluctant to grant those wages on extended terms given the defender is 29 years old.

Tottenham's final offer was believed to be £110,000 per week, including bonuses.

"It is not my job and I cannot say anything about that," Pochettino told BBC Sport on Friday.

"I am not involved in negotiations. I never talk about rumours, what the media say, or what happens around the club."

Alderweireld joined Spurs from Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee in 2015. He was previously on loan at Southampton, where he displayed an assurance in possession, a knack of finding teammates with raking diagonal balls, and great positional awareness. He has boosted that reputation in north London, and wouldn't be short of potential suitors if he was posted on the transfer market.

The Ajax product has played 78 league matches for Tottenham, but his minutes have dwindled this term as he has dealt with hamstring issues. He is touch-and-go for Sunday's match at Crystal Palace due to what Pochettino describes as a "small incident" in his leg.

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