Having failed to compete with Manchester City for the league title and dropping out of the Champions League early this season, Jose Mourinho will be desperate to improve on the squad at his disposal and has constantly been linked with some of the finest stars in Europe.
The Red Devils are expected to spend big yet again this summer transfer window and have been scouting for some exciting names and one name now doing the rounds is Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld.
Standing as one of the most consistent and best defenders in the Premier League at the moment, Alderweireld joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 and took no time to cement himself in the first team, making a total of 78 league appearances already for the side. He has missed most of the current season with an injury but is now left out of the squad by Mauricio Pochettino, even after he is fully fit.
And that compounded with the fact that Alderweireld is yet to sign a contract extension, that has been on the table for over a couple of months now has seen the best teams in England scout for him for a move this summer. Chelsea and Manchester United are both interested in his services while Manchester City are also in the hunt. But is he the right man for the Red Devils?
At 29, Alderweireld has 68 international appearances for Belgium to add to 128 Eredivisie and 104 Premier League appearances to date and one of the most experienced defenders in the Premier League at the moment. He is yet to win anything at Spurs but has been one of the major reasons for the club who have established themselves as a European club.
Strong and athletic, with a smart and cool head on his shoulder, Alderweireld is rarely prone to errors and is usually hard to beat in one-on-one situations. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is usually productive with it and his approach to the game is what has helped Pochettino establish a solid backline at Spurs.
However, he has made just 10 PL starts this season and is out of a contract in 2019. So Spurs are ready to sell him at the right price and United should do what it takes to land him this summer.
Neither Phil Jones nor Chris Smalling has done enough to warrant a place in the first team next season while Victor Lindelof needs more game time to get to his best. The likes of Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, who have played in this role are not what Mourinho wants to use and Alderweireld will solve this problem.
At 29, he may not be a long-term solution but along with Eric Bailly, he can establish one of the strongest CB partnerships in England next season. But do you think he is the right man for United?
