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What's the story?
Jose Mourinho has long been embroiled in the pursuit of a central defender, and it appears that his wish will eventually be fulfilled just before the Thursday's transfer deadline. Throughout the transfer window, United have been linked with a host of centre-backs including Harry Maguire and Yerry Mina, but no deal has been clinched yet.
Nevertheless, according to a report from The Express, the Red Devils have agreed personal terms with their top target Toby Alderweireld which would see him complete a move to Old Trafford in the next 24 hours.
In case you didn't know...
The Alderweireld transfer saga has been rambling on for quite some time as the Belgian has been linked with a potential move to Manchester United since the start of the summer transfer window. Mourinho is keen on bolstering his defensive strength in order to close the gap on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and the inactivity showed by the boardroom also enraged the Portuguese.
Alderweireld has endured a fractious relationship with Mauricio Pochettino, who decided against fielding him close to the end of the 2017/18 season even though the 29-year-old felt that he was completely fit. His contract with Spurs runs out within 12 months.
The heart of the matter
Toby Alderweireld is United's No 1 target with only a few hours left in the transfer deadline and the Premier League outfit are ready to pull out all the stops to prise him away from the Lilywhites.
Meanwhile, pundit John Hartson also views Alderweireld as a better signing in comparison with Harry Maguire.
He said: “I think Alderweireld would probably be the most likely.
“He hasn’t agreed on a new contract with Tottenham which makes you think there’s definitely something not right there. They could be willing to sell possibly.
“Harry Maguire, I just think he’s had a fantastic World Cup, his stock hasn’t been higher, but maybe just one more season in the Premier League with Leicester I think could do him the world of good and then he can make the next step.
“But it’s difficult as a player when you know the top clubs are looking at you.”
Rumour probability/rating: 6/10
Many reliable news outlets are reporting the same.
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What's next?
Manchester United kick off their 2018/19 campaign against Leicester City on Friday, and if they manage to pull off this transfer, it would be the perfect boost ahead of the new season.
