Tottenham Hotspur should consider making a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah if Toby Alderweireld leaves the club this summer.

What's the word?

It is increasingly likely that the North London outfit will not have Alderweireld in the squad next season.

The two parties are at a standstill with regards to a new contract, which suggests that Spurs will sell now rather than allow him to leave next summer at a cut price of £25m.

According to The Express, Manchester United are prepared to up their pursuit of the Belgian international.

Selling to a direct rival would not be the smartest piece of business, but chairman Daniel Levy could potentially gain a huge figure from the Red Devils.

[brid autoplay="true" video="252976" player="12034" title="Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup"]

Who should be Alderweireld's replacement?

There is no denying the centre-back's quality, so Tottenham need to make sure that they recruit someone worthy of playing alongside Jan Vertonghen.

The club already have options within their own squad, with Davinson Sanchez being the leading figure.

However, the North London outfit should still swoop for a new defender, and they should certainly consider Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah.

The 22-year-old - valued at £27m by Transfermarkt - is already a Germany international having picked up three caps.

Last season, the defender played in 28 Bundesliga matches and also provided two assists in that time.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has proven that he can help young players shine, and Tah would get that opportunity.

However, Leverkusen tied the centre-back down to a new deal in March, which means that Spurs would have to spend big in order to land his signature.

The silver lining, though, is that the club failed to qualify for the Champions League, so Tah may push for a move.