Manchester United and Real Madrid given hope in Toby Alderweireld race as Mauricio Pochettino will not stand in way if he wants to leave Tottenham

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Mauricio Pochettino will not stand in Toby Alderweireld's way if the defender tries to force his way out of Tottenham this summer.

Alderweireld is keen to leave north London this season and is refusing to sign a new contract as a result.

And the Belgium international will not face any resistance from Pochettino as he looks to engineer his Spurs exit.

Toby Alderweireld (right, pictured with Romelu Lukaku) could be allowed to leave Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino will not block Alderweireld's exit if the Belgian wants to leave the club

Sportsmail understands the Tottenham manager has already accepted Alderweireld wants to move on and will leave the situation in the hands of chairman Daniel Levy.

If Levy receives an offer he deems acceptable for the central defender, Pochettino is happy for Alderweireld to leave. Manchester United and Real Madrid are monitoring his situation.

The Argentine manager only wants players who are fully committed to Tottenham. Indeed, Pochettino has shown a willingness to marginalise and sell players he feels aren't completely on board.

Kyle Walker was used sparingly and eventually sold to Manchester City last summer after making it clear he wanted to leave.

Similarly, Danny Rose has seen his role diminish this season after openly questioning the club's wage structure ahead of the current season. Rose could also be sold this summer.

Since returning from a hamstring injury Alderweireld, who has suffered a recurrence of the problem, has been left out in the cold by Pochettino for a number of high-profile matches.

If Alderweireld doesn't sign a new deal, Tottenham may be forced to sell the defender in the summer transfer window due to a complex clause in his current contract.

Jose Mourinho wants to bolster his centre back options and Alderweireld could be available