Manchester United are set to table an improved £50m bid for Toby Alderweireld and will lure the Tottenham defender with a lucrative five-year contract. A new centre-back is understood to be a priority as doubts continue over Phil Jones and Chris Smalling while Victor Lindelof is being linked with a move following a disappointing debut season at Old Trafford so Mourinho is on the look out for a new partner for Eric Bailly.
Alderweireld has been touted as a prime target in the media for several months but United were forced to look at alternatives after Tottenham rejected their opening £40m bid at the start of the summer with the north Londoners demanding £55m. However, now that Belgium have been knocked out of the World Cup following their semi-final defeat to France last night, United are ready to renew their interest in Alderweireld.
United will test Tottenham’s resolve with an improved £50m offer in the hope that will be enough to strike a deal and are also ready to lure Alderweireld with a lucrative five-year contract worth well in excess of £120,000-a-week. The 29-year-old has two years left on his contract but his current deal includes a clause allowing him to leave for just £25m next summer so Tottenham may be tempted to cash-in now while they can still command a sizeable fee. Spurs have been unable to agree terms with the defender over a new deal and Alderweireld struggled to force his way back in to Mauricio Pochettino’s first team after recovering from a serious hamstring injury during the second half of last season.