According to a recent report from The Sun, Manchester United are growing confident of signing Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld in January.
The club’s hierarchy has given coach Jose Mourinho the green light and it is believed that the Red Devils could make a £40 million move in the upcoming January transfer window.
Aldereweireld will be out of contract at the end of the season and a move definitely makes sense for the Belgian international.
Why Manchester United’s season will depend on Toby Alderweireld
Every top class teams need a strong defence, regardless of their offensive priorities and when the team is managed by Jose Mourinho, defensive solidity is often paramount.
However, United’s defensive performance have been far from impressive this season, having conceded 26 goals in 16 matches – joint most by any team in the top half of the table so far.
While key defender Eric Bailly’s fallout with Mourinho earlier in the season sabotaged their defensive temerity, to some extent, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones’ injury problems haven’t helped either, with United often relying on the below-par central defensive combination of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof.
Although they’ve done a decent job, for the most part, they hugely lack the quality as well as the temperant when compared to the Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and even the Tottenham backline.
The addition of Alderweireld, in that regard, will come as a breath of fresh air not just for the fans but for the manager as well, who has surely grown frustrated from a series of mediocre defensive performances week in week out.
Alderweireld is highly regarded as one of the best central defenders not just in England but in Europe as well, thanks to consistent performances with Tottenham over the past few years.
Although the Belgian international has struggled with injuries in recent memory, his superior defensive qualities and as well as composure is far too obvious.
Indeed, the 29-year-old is an excellent tackler and a diligent defender, who can hold tight to his marker but what makes him an appealing target for United is his ball-playing quality.
The former Atletico defender can easily rotate possession while his laser-passes coupled with some accurate long-balls will add another dimension to the United build-up – which is almost imperative given how United have struggled this season in terms of their defensive resources and their overall efficiency while playing the ball out from the back.