Alderweireld contract update offers hope to Man Utd

Toby Alderweireld admits he is no closer to signing a new contract at Tottenham, with that revelation likely to have Manchester United believing that they can still strike a deal.

The Belgium international is set to see his current agreement in north London expire at the end of the season.

Spurs have the option to take up a 12-month extension, but activating that clause will also trigger a £25 million ($33m) buyout option for the 29-year-old’s many suitors.

Tottenham had been hoping to avoid that situation by agreeing fresh terms with a man who was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford over the summer, but there has been no progress in talks.

Quizzed by Sky Sports on whether he can provide any update on discussions, Alderweireld said: "Not that I can say, no. I'm focused on Spurs and trying to help the team. That's all I can do."

Alderweireld claims to have had “tunnel vision” when seeing his future called into question on a regular basis over the summer.

The endless rounds of rumours could have been an unwelcome distraction, but the Belgian believes he has put the speculation behind him to find true happiness on and off the field.

He added: "I'm the old Toby again. I try to do my best and help the team.

"How happy am I on a scale of one to 10? When you have a daughter it's 10 out of 10. It doesn't matter what happens. The joy that I get from that, I try to give it to my football."

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Alderweireld is currently putting club matters to one side during the international break.

Belgium have Nations League clashes with Switzerland and the Netherlands approaching, with a star-studded side looking to build on their third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

They will have many of their leading lights available for their next two outings, such as Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, but Jan Vertonghen will be unavailable after picking up a hamstring injury.

Alderweireld said of his Tottenham team-mate: "He is devastated he can't play but will try to come back as quickly as possible.

"If you're injured it's always mentally hard. He will get through this and become stronger."