Matt Le Tissier has suggested that Manchester City should look at Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld.
Pundit Matt Le Tissier told Sky Sports’ Soccer Special (06/12/2016) that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola must go into the transfer market in January to sign a new defender – and backed a move for Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld.
City drew 1-1 at home with Celtic on Tuesday night, as Kelechi Iheanacho’s equaliser cancelled out an opener from Patrick Roberts to hand Guardiola a share of the spoils in their final Champions League group game.
Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld celebrates
Celtic could have won the game though, as both Leigh Griffiths and Gary Mackay-Steven chances to win the game late on, whilst Tom Rogic and Moussa Dembele had first-half chances after poor defending from City.
City’s backline has been criticised on a number of occasions this season, and particularly after the 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, where Chelsea’s pace simply sliced through City in the second half.
Even after spending big on John Stones over the summer, it’s clear that City still need to boost their defensive options, given that Nicolas Otamendi continues to blow hot and cold, Aleksandar Kolarov is far from a centre half despite being used there, and Vincent Kompany’s injury problems are still lingering.
Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld celebrates scoring
Guardiola will be given money to spend on a defence which has kept just one clean sheet in the last 16 competitive matches, and one pundit believes they should look to raid Tottenham for a centre back.
Reports from Belgian newspaper Le Soir claimed that Tottenham’s defensive hero Toby Alderweireld has a €30m (£25m) release clause in his contract, but The Mirror later updated that story to claim that the clause can essentially only be activated in a 14-day window in 2019 in what is becoming a confusing tale.
Regardless, pundit Matt Le Tissier, who saw Alderweireld star for his beloved Southampton side during the 2014/15 season, suggested to Sky Sports’ Soccer Special (06/12/2016) that City should be looking to make a move for Alderweireld if a £25m clause exists as he’s the experienced head Guardiola needs to play alongside Stones.
Former footballer Matt Le Tissier
“I think Guardiola has to go into the market in January, because he obviously isn’t happy with what he’s got there,” said Le Tissier. “He keeps changing it around, and he needs to find somebody with an experienced head, who’s a very good player, to play alongside John Stones.”
“Is it any coincidence that Alderweireld’s release clause got made public? If he’s got a release clause of £25m and you’re Manchester City? That would be interesting,” he added.
Alderweireld, 27, has certainly impressed for Spurs since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2015, but with no pressure to sell due to that release clause being almost impossible to activate even in 2019, a move to the Etihad Stadium seems highly unlikely for the Belgian international, unless City use their financial power to give Tottenham an offer they can’t refuse.
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