Manchester United are said to remain keen on signing Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld.
According to a report in the Mirror (live transfer blog, July 28 at 14:59), Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho still has Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld at the top of his wish-list – but he has a contingency plan.
Should Manchester United fail to land the Spurs defender this summer and opt against Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, then Mourinho will move Nemanja Matic back into a centre-back role to add ‘greater power and stability’.
It’s clear that the Portuguese boss isn’t happy with his current centre-back options, and Daley Blind’s recent exit leaves Manchester United short on numbers with Marcos Rojo another to potentially leave (The Telegraph).
Alderweireld has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League over the past few seasons, and his future at Tottenham is up in the air with the Belgium international barely featuring since the turn of the New Year.
The 29-year-old made just 13 Premier League starts for Tottenham last term, but as of yet Manchester United have fallen short of Tottenham’s valuation of the player (the Mirror), with Spurs’ owner Daniel Levy holding out for a larger fee (as he does).
With Alderweireld’s contract due to expire next summer, Manchester United will be hopeful of signing him on a reduced fee, but Tottenham will be well aware of the implications of selling him to a direct Premier League title rival.
If Manchester United can’t agree a deal this transfer window, it will leave boss Mourinho in a tough spot. Although Matic is probably more than adept at playing at the back, the Red Devils would surely benefit far more from his presence in midfield alongside new signing Fred, and World Cup winner Paul Pogba.
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