Ledley King is a fan favorite at White Hart Lane, which is to be expected for a player who came up from the Tottenham youth team, has played for the senior team since 1998 and is the club's captain. For Spurs fans to love King is natural, but how much longer can that love continue?
At the end of the season, Spurs will have a decision to make on the 31-year-old King. His contract will be up and his balky knee will still be balky, but he will still be the club's captain and when he's played, he's played well. Does that club want to spend another year or two paying a player who is undoubtedly fantastic when he's on the field, but is never a guarantee to actually see the field?
For his part, King seemed intent on continuing to play and he looks on his way to meeting the 20 matches played that Harry Redknapp set out for him before the season to get a new contract. He is at 15 matches played already and unless he pulls a Ledley, he's going to play his 20 matches. That just leaves the agent and chairman to sort out the money, which I hear is important in contracts.
"I've left it between my agent and the chairman," King told The Sun. "As yet I have not heard anything. I'm just trying to play as many games as I can and we will see where that takes me."
With Spurs looking at the Champions League next season, they will need defenders. Those defenders also need to be reliable, which King isn't, but does Tottenham really have the option of letting him go?
The defense is so much better with King at the back because he is the only real leader that Spurs have back there. If King is given the heave-ho then Tottenham have to bring in a top-notch defender that can be that leader, but are Spurs really willing to shell out the cash for one? Is Daniel Levy ready to splash the cash for Jan Vertonghen or someone like that? If he is not then he needs to keep King. It is that simple.
Spurs are facing a King dilemma, but it is really not that much of a dilemma because if they are not willing to spend then he has to come back and that is that. If the club is ready to pay for a top-notch defender, well then things get really interesting.