West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady believes Tottenham are unlikely to give Toby Alderweireld a huge pay rise.
It was claimed this week that the defender wants parity with Spurs striker Harry Kane and is demanding wages of around £110,000 a week in order to sign a new deal at the club.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, Brady suggested Alderweireld “may find robbing a bank is easier” because of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s wage policy.
She wrote: “Top clubs long ago gave up the ideal that every first-team player should receive equal pay.
“Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld may be inspired by something similar if it’s true he is demanding to double his money to around the £110,000 a week Harry Kane is said to earn.
“Their chairman Daniel Levy keeps to a strict pay agenda and Alderweireld may find robbing a bank is easier.
“There is another point. Kane scores 20-plus goals, Alderweireld stops far more. Who should be paid more? Over to you, Daniel.”
Discussions between Tottenham and Alderweireld are ongoing and he is expected to sign a new contract after the end of the season.
He has made 65 Premier League appearances since his move to north London from Southampton in 2015.