Toby Alderweireld has been widely touted as a key addition to Manchester United's squad this summer, and the Tottenham centre-back is on a list of 'potential targets' according to the Manchester Evening News.

What's the story?

The report by the MEN says that the out-of-favour Spurs defender is an option on Jose Mourinho's 'list of targets' and is identified as the second-choice after Jerome Boateng of Bayern Munich.

They say that United scouts are unconvinced by the Belgian international and that while he remains an option this summer, he is not a 100 per cent target.

The 29-year old is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, but the transfer fee will likely be less than his market value due to the Belgian only having one year left on his contract.

Should the deal go ahead, Spurs will be looking for a replacement for the Belgian, and the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt would herald a new style of transfers for Daniel Levy and a resounding nod of confidence in Mauricio Pochettino's project at the New White Hart Lane.

Why De Ligt?

The Netherlands international is highly regarded as the best defender in the world for his age group.

He possesses power, pace, defensive positioning and leadership skills beyond his years and has the potential to match the ability of Alderweireld.

At 18 years old he has played 62 times for Ajax, as well as gaining seven caps for the Netherlands national side.

He is valued at £40m by Transfermarkt, so it is likely that he would demand a substantial fee should he move to North London.

Instead of using the money that they get from selling Alderweireld and purchasing a ready-made defender, it would be wise to use this money as part of the package to bring De Ligt to North London.

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