Manchester United have no current plans to make a move to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld. The Red Devils have agreed an £18.5m deal with AFC Ajax for Daley Blind which will only intensify Jose Mourinho’s pursuit of a new central-defender. On Thursday, it was reported that Tottenham were willing to sell Alderweireld to their Premier League rivals, however, United are undecided over re-entering negotiations.
Daley Blind to Ajax is indeed happening. £14m up to £18.5m. @ManUtd have work to do but no current plan to ignite interest in Toby Alderweireld.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) July 14, 2018
Negotiations between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United prior to the World Cup over a deal for Alderweireld proved unsuccessful with Old Trafford officials unwilling to match Spurs’ £75m asking price. With Daniel Levy a notoriously tough negotiator, United may have given up on their pursuit due to Tottenham’s firm stance over their asking price. For now, the Manchester club have no plans to re-enter negotiations over a deal and could start searching for alternatives.
The former Ajax player is considered to be one of the best central-defenders on the continent and following two-and-a-half impressive seasons at the club, Tottenham were willing to reward Alderweireld with a new contract. During discussions, the Belgian’s intentions were on signing a new deal with Spurs, whilst ensuring that he became one of the highest-earning defenders in the division.
However, the player’s demands were too steep and with neither party willing to budge over their stance, Tottenham have decided to offload Alderweirled whilst his price remains high. Next summer, Alderweirld’s contract is due to expire, or Tottenham have the option of activating an option in his contract which would extend it by one-year but would also activate a £25m release clause. With Mauricio Pochettino backing Tottenham’s decision, the club are looking to offload the defender to avoid the risk of losing him on a free transfer or for a low fee.