Juventus have joined the race for Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld, with Manchester United now looking at other targets following the hiring of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as permanent manager.
Alderweireld currently has a £25m release clause in his contract, which became active after Tottenham were forced to extend his deal to prevent the Belgian leaving the club for free this summer.
News of Juventus' interest in Alderweireld comes from The Mirror, who claim that the Serie A giants have identified him as a key target in their quest to continue their period of dominance in Italy.
They will likely face no competition from United, who were incredibly keen on the 30-year-old during Jose Mourinho's time in the dugout. However, since hiring Solskjaer on a permanent basis, the Red Devils are now only looking for a back-up centre-back, whereas Alderweireld would certainly demand regular first-team football.
24-year-old Victor Lindelof has enjoyed somewhat of a career resurgence under Solskjaer, whilst both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have been incredibly impressive since the Norwegian first arrived at the club in December.
As a result of the trio's form, United officials see no need to invest heavily on a new centre-back. The likes of Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester City's Harry Maguire have both been linked with expensive moves to the club, but deals for either now seem incredibly unlikely.
With United now looking elsewhere, Juventus will be keen to move quickly and secure Alderweireld's signature. Barcelona and Real Madrid have both been credited with interest in the Belgian in the past, and his price tag of £25m, which is only active before the final two weeks of the transfer window, is unlikely to be a concern for most interested parties.
Juventus are keen to add two new defenders to their ranks as they prepare for life without the ageing pair of Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. They also have Martin Caceres and Leonardo Bonucci, both 31, on their books, and they are eager to strengthen in the position to become a consistent challenger for Champions League glory.
Source : 90min