Manchester United target Toby Alderweireld has denied ever wanting to leave Tottenham in the summer.
Alderweireld dropped down the pecking order under Mauricio Pochettino last season after a contract stand-off with the club.
The Belgium international was heavily linked with a move to United in the summer but Jose Mourinho’s side never made a move for the 29-year-old.
Alderweireld has entered the final 12 months of his current Tottenham deal but the north London outfit have a clause to extend by another season.
By doing so, however, Tottenham will activate a £25m release clause in Alderweireld’s contract in the summer of 2019.
Tottenham were demanding in the region of £75m for the centre-back in the summer, which United baulked at.
Alderweireld is now back in contention at Tottenham and has denied ever wanting to leave the club.
“Everyone was saying everywhere that I absolutely wanted to leave Tottenham,” Sky Sports quote Alderweireld as saying.
“That’s not true. This summer, I quickly understood Tottenham wanted to keep me. So, I had to battle to get my place back in the team.
“To be in the first team again is a victory for me. I just try to help Tottenham as best I can with my qualities. Regarding my future, everything that was said in the press was not right all the time.”
Alderweireld is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and demonstrated his class during the 2018 World Cup.
Of outfielders that have started at least 10 Premier League games since the start of last season, Alderweireld averages the most accurate long balls per game (7.9).
