Spurs to take a chance on out-of-favour United midfielder.
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Tottenham are understood be weighing up a move for out-of-favour Brazilian midfielder Anderson from Manchester United this summer.
The 25-year-old has not lived up to his potential in his time at Old Trafford, and could be part of a summer clear-out that sees he and team-mates Nani, Ashley Young and Javier Hernandez leave the club.
Anderson is one of several players who have failed to impress despite United’s convincing title win, and it is thought that new manager David Moyes will look to reshuffle the squad in a bid to retain the title next season, where competition from the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea is likely to be stronger due to the clubs’ spending plans in this summer’s transfer window.
Tottenham are in need of extra midfielders in the Anderson mould, who can both break up opposition attacks and bring play forward, with their current squad not quite looking up to standard in that area.
Scott Parker and Sandro have struggled with injuries for much of the season, while new signings Moussa Dembele and Gylfi Sigurdsson have been somewhat inconsistent in their first year at White Hart Lane. Tom Huddlestone has been drafted in all too often, with the 26-year-old former Derby man looking sluggish and off the pace. Spurs were close to selling him to Stoke City last summer, and will look to offload him again this year to bring in some improvements.
Anderson might prove a risky move, due to his indifferent displays for United, but Andre Villas-Boas clearly still sees enough talent in the Brazilian to give him a chance to help them in their fight for a top four place.
After all, the former Porto man was a very highly rated prospect when he prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to pay £20million to bring him to United from Portugal, and his experience of winning silverware in his years at Old Trafford could be a useful addition as Spurs will also look to compete for trophies next season.
This could be the second high-profile piece of business between the two clubs this summer if Manchester United step up their interest in Spurs star Gareth Bale, who is also a target for Real Madrid.
The Welsh winger has had a fantastic season at White Hart Lane, winning the PFA Player of the Year award, and could leave the club if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Spurs have insisted he is not for sale, but it is thought that a bid of around £65million would be enough to tempt them into selling the winger, and United may use Anderson as a bargaining tool, offering the player in return for Bale.
It is not clear if Anderson himself would welcome a move to Tottenham, but the promise of more first-team football would surely be tempting, as he has found that hard to come by for the last five years.