Playing for 90
Fansided

Three player’s Manchester United must sign this summer

By James Westwood

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium on May 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium on May 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JULY 14: Toby Alderweireld of Belgium looks on prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia 3rd Place Playoff match between Belgium and England at Saint Petersburg Stadium on July 14, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JULY 14: Toby Alderweireld of Belgium looks on prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia 3rd Place Playoff match between Belgium and England at Saint Petersburg Stadium on July 14, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

2. TOBY ALDERWEIRELD – Centre Back (Tottenham Hotspur)

The second Tottenham Hotspur player on the list – who struggled to hold down a place in Pochetinnos starting XI in the second half of last season – is Belgian defender Alderweireld.

The 29-year-old has also only just returned from international duty, having been an integral part of Roberto Martinez Belgium side in Russia.

They managed to finish 3rd in the competition, beating England twice and Brazil in the quarterfinals whilst also finishing as the top scoring team at the World Cup.

The former Atletico Madrid man left the Spanish club in 2015 having spent his last year there on loan to Southampton in the Premier League, which gave him a taste of English football.

He joined Spurs for £11.5 million and immediately forged a solid partnership with Jan Vertonghen at the back.

Since then he has suffered a couple of serious injury’s which stalled his momentum somewhat, most recently a hamstring problem which he sustained in the first half of last season that kept him sidelined until February in the new year.

Pocchetino only included the Belgian in his team 6 times between then and the end of the season, which the defender addressed recently in an interview, as reported by ESPN.

Alderweireld wanted to show in his performances at the World Cup that he hadn’t lost a step, as he stated:

"“I wanted to prove something to me, show that the period before the tournament in which I, for whatever reason, did not play, it was unjustified.” “I wanted to show that I’m still Toby, same as in November.”"

The experienced defender would be an excellent signing for Mourinho at Old Trafford considering the lack of consistency displayed by two of his regular centre-backs – Chris Smalling and Phill Jones.

Eric Bailly has proved himself as a reliable and accomplished man at the back for United but his counterparts have failed to match his high standards.

The Red Devil’s need a leader at the back, a man that is adept positionally and capable of marshalling the back four by transmitting confidence and quality. Alderweireld fits that bill and should be a priority target for the club this summer.

Home/Manchester United