Manchester United feel good about their chances to land Toby Alderweireld this summer, but they should take signing the Tottenham star for granted.
Jose Mourinho believes Toby Alderweireld can help anchor his back four next season. All Manchester United need to do is agree to terms with Tottenham on a price for the Belgian defender. That’s exactly why United shouldn’t be too confident that Alderweireld will end up calling Old Trafford home next year.
The good news for United fans is that they are reportedly willing to pay £40 million for the 29-year-old defender. The bad news is that they aren’t the only big European club interested in his services. PSG and a host of other clubs are also expressing strong interest in the Spurs star.
It’s obvious that Daniel Levy and the brain trust would like to retain Alderweireld if at all possible. They’ve offered the central defender a bumper new contract, but it’s not equal to what other European powers like United are willing to pay.
Officials at Tottenham are keenly aware of how the club’s fan base felt when Kyle Walker was sold to Manchester City last summer. Spurs received a substantial fee from the eventual Premier League champions, but seeing him succeed at another English club was painful for Tottenham fans.
As a result, Spurs would strongly prefer to sell Alderweireld to a non-English club if they can make the finances work. It’s hard to imagine PSG letting United outbid them for a defender like Alderweireld. He could be the perfect defender to begin Thomas Tuchel’s renaissance in Paris.
In the end, United’s ability to purchase Alderweireld may come down to their willingness to include one of their talented starlets as part of the deal. Specifically, Tottenham hold a strong interest in Anthony Martial. He isn’t a favourite of Mourinho, but United don’t want to sell him to a Premier League rival. It’s very possible both clubs might have to break that rule if they want to secure one of their top transfer targets.
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The lesson here is that United don’t have any reason to feel confident about their chances to land Alderweireld. They may ultimately end up with the Tottenham defender, but there are a lot of hurdles to cross before they win this transfer race. Spurs aren’t going to make this an easy transfer maneuver for their English rivals.