Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy has urged his old club to settle Toby Alderweireld's contract.

Murphy wrote for the London Evening Standard: "Tottenham need to sort out Toby Alderweireld's future as quickly as possible. He is a top-drawer player and if Spurs need to relax their wage structure to hang on to him, then they should.

"He doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would demand the same wages that, for example, Virgil van Dijk is receiving at Liverpool. We are led to believe Van Dijk is on about £180,000 a week at Anfield but I don't get the impression Alderweireld would ask for parity.

"It is understandable, however, that he'd want more than his current £50,000 per week.

"Both sides have strengths and weaknesses in this argument. Alderweireld has a clause in his contract that, if triggered, means he could leave for £25.4million in the summer of 2019. Any club would want to sign a top-class defender for him at that price.

"However, Alderweireld's bargaining position is not as solid as it was 12 or 18 months ago. He has only just returned from more than three months out with a hamstring injury and Mauricio Pochettino still does not believe he is fit enough to play in the top matches."