da realbet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
da casino： Toby Alderweireld’s displays for Tottenham Hotspur under Jose Mourinho prove that he was right to want to sign the defender during his time at Manchester United.
A number of reports when Mourinho was manager claimed that the Portuguese was keen to take the defender to Old Trafford.
However, the move was vetoed by the club’s powerbrokers, with United eventually opting to sign Harry Maguire instead.
That deal cost the club £80m, making the England international the most expensive defender in world football.
Alderweireld, by comparison, had a clause in his Spurs contract that meant he was available for £25m.
While it would not have been the record-breaking purchase that Maguire was, the Spurs man is already proving that he would have been worth every penny.
Prior to the clash with United, he had made 13 appearances under both Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino.
He averaged, per WhoScored, 1.2 tackles per game, 1.3 interceptions, 4.1 clearances and a mere 0.3 fouls. He is dribbled past on 0.2 occasions per game.
Alderweireld has also laid on two assists this season, including one brilliant ball to Dele Alli against Bournemouth.
He has a pass success rate of 84.2% and averages 0.5 key passes per game.
Compare those statistics with Maguire.
He had 14 Premier League appearances this season prior to the game against Spurs and averaged 0.6 tackles per game, 1.6 interceptions, 3.9 clearances and 0.7 fouls. He is also dribbled past on 0.2 occasions per game.
A pass success rate of 86.4% outstrips Alderweireld’s numbers while he averages 0.9 key passes per game.
Still, the difference here is negligible and one has to say that Maguire could be seen as a rasher, less controlled defender than the Belgian.
One thing is for sure: there certainly isn’t £55m worth of difference between the two players in terms of their numbers.
Mourinho was right and he should have been allowed to acquire Alderweireld when he was United manager.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have been left buzzing after some contract news.