da aposte e ganhe： Manchester United fans can take glee despite Toby Alderweireld claiming to be happy at Tottenham Hotspur as his contract continues to wind down.
da bet vitoria： The Belgian centre-back was heavily linked with a transfer to Old Trafford in the summer despite a move never materialising, but the 29-year-old’s recent comments do little to rubbish a potential departure from North London.
Manchester United, like Tottenham, could certainly do with a defender with Alderwireld’s statue in the Premier League, having shifted more goals than they have scored so far this season.
The inconsistency of Jose Mourinho’s side has left the Red Devils in eighth place after eight games, two-points behind recently promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers and already seven-points down on their top of the league city rivals.
Had a transfer gone through for Alderweireld, or any of Mourinho’s main targets, the Portuguese manager’s future may not be in as much doubt as it currently is…
So far this season, Mourinho has called on an ever-changing list of players in a bid to build a solid backline.
Luke Shaw has re-established himself at left-back having endured a tough time at Old Trafford under Jose, while Antonio Valencia may be the first choice at right-back but has only featured four times this campaign.
As for the centre of the defence, the two men in the middle have been a problem area.
Victor Lindelöf has featured more times than any other in his position, but has hardly been a convincing candidate to deserve more minutes. The Swedish international’s own goal against West Ham certainly did him no favours.
As for Alderweireld, the Belgium international noted ahead of UEFA Nations League action against Switzerland: “Honestly, I am absolutely not thinking about it [no new contract] at the moment.
“I feel good, play a lot right now and, therefore, am happy. We shall see.”
If Tottenham refuses to give Alderweireld a new deal or take up the option to activate a one-year extension clause, Manchester United could pocket a top player at a discount price.
Should no deal be reached and Daniel Levy happily let the 29-year-old walk out the club’s door, United must be ready to pounce and hand the player a deal that will take him through the final good years of his career.
Even if Spurs were to activate his extension clause, United can still bag a key addition for less than the player’s value as the agreement also holds a £25million buy-out that comes into effect during the final two-weeks of next summer’s transfer window.
Upon the Belgian’s arrival at White Hart Lane from Atletico Madrid, he instantly made his presence felt by shoring up the Spurs backline and dragging the club to be title contenders.
Yes, the North London side suffered a late crumble as Leicester City went on to complete the remarkable fantasy, but what the 6 foot 1 defender brought stuck far stronger as the club went on to challenge again the following season while the Foxes fell back to their rightful position.
At a time of need at Old Trafford, the Premier League experience the Lilywhites outcast holds comes with far more value than a younger European based player who may not know what challenges the Prem holds.