Manchester United Opinion: Why Toby Alderweireld will be a top fit for United

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham have accepted they are set to lose their defensive lynchpin Toby Alderweireld this summer, with Manchester United leading Barcelona and Juventus in the player’s signature.

The Belgian international, 30, is contracted to Tottenham until the end of next season after the club triggered an extension clause in December. In doing so, Alderweireld will be available for £26million or more in the final two weeks of this summer’s transfer window.

Manchester United are already in front of queue for signing the Belgian and must do everything possible to land him ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

The Red Devils have been poor at the back this season and while they have improved a lot since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival, the defence is an area the manager needs to reinforce over this summer. Victor Lindelof has been United’s best centre-back so far but has had no permanent partner.

None of Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling or Phil Jones have performed consistently, while Marcos Rojo remains undependable due to his injury problems. Hence, a new centre-back is an absolute necessity and United would be wise to bring in Alderweireld.

Alderweireld has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League since joining Tottenham from Southampton in 2015. The Belgian has played over 100 league games for Tottenham and while he endured an injury-ravaged last season, he has managed to bulldoze his way back into Mauricio Pochettino’s plans this term.

Strong in the air and reliable at the back, the 30-year-old is comfortable in bringing the ball out from the back. He has a calm demeanor and is an excellent reader of the game. Alderweireld isn’t a very rough defender but uses his skills and tackling abilities to snatch possession from the opposition before setting up an attack from the back.

His natural athleticism combined with superb tactical intelligence and defensive nous has made him such a quality defender. Plus his natural aggression and bags of Premier League makes Alderweireld a perfect fit for the Red Devils.

Conclusion

Given United’s current defensive problems, adding someone of Alderweireld’s stature, experience and quality would certainly solidify the team.

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The Belgian international is one of the top defenders in the Premier League and with such a small release clause in today’s market, he will be an absolute steal for Solskjaer’s United. Hence, the Red Devils should make the signing of the 30-year-old defender their no.1 priority in the summer.