Manchester United are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a potential deal for Toby Alderweireld this summer. According to recent reports, the Red Devils are looking to secure the signature of the Belgian international during this summer transfer period. United boss Jose Mourinho is expected to revamp his squad this summer and bringing in the Spurs centre-back is high on his transfer wish-list.
Alderweireld’s current contract with the North London side is set to run out in the summer of 2020 and he is yet to reach to reach an agreement with Spurs over a new deal. The Belgian could choose to leave next summer for a meagre fee of £22m due to a clause in his current contract. Hence, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are more willing to listen to offers for their prized asset in the coming weeks so that they can sell him for a much higher price in this window than what they can get for him next year.
Some sources have recently claimed that Spurs were ready to accept a fee around £55m but the club’s chairman Daniel Levy is understood to be seeking closer to the whopping £75m fee that Liverpool agreed with Southampton for Virgil van Dijk back in January.
Alderweireld joined the North London team from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015 for £11.5m, following an impressive loan spell at Southampton. However, he has fallen down the pecking order under Pochettino last season and it is quite likely that the Belgian centre-back will seal a move away from White Hart Lane this summer in search of greener pastures.
The Reds of Manchester succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the FA Cup final last weekend which put an end to their hopes of lifting a silverware this year. Mourinho needs to recruit wisely in this ongoing transfer window so that his team are well equipped to challenge for some major trophies next term.
The potential acquisition of Alderweireld will undoubtedly bolster Mourinho’s defensive options at Old Trafford. United have a plethora of promising defenders such as Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof and Marcos Rojo competing for a place in Mourinho’s backline. The addition of Alderweireld will improve their team significantly and add more competition for places within Mourinho’s squad.
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At 29, the Belgian centre-back still has a few years left in him to play at a high level which the Red Devils could look to utilise in the coming years. Alderweireld is also quite versatile and can play in a number of different positions across the pitch. The Spurs talent primarily plays as a centre-half but can also be deployed in the right-back position or as a defensive midfielder which makes him a perfect fit for the Red Devils. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Alderweireld and whether he ends up making a switch to Old Trafford this summer.
