Manchester United 'reluctant' to deal with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over Toby Alderweireld

Manchester United are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld but the club are reluctant to deal with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, according to the Independent.

Alderweireld's contract situation is a growing concern in north London with the club now reportedly ready to sell the Belgium international at the end of the season. According to a recent report from The Times, the centre-half has demanded £150,000 per-week. Tottenham's final offer was £110,000 – enough to make him one of the club's top earners but one still considerably short of the player's demands with talks now deadlocked.

Alderweireld's deal expires in 2019 but Spurs retain an option to extend that by 12 months. By exercising that option however, a £25m release clause becomes active prior to the final 14 days of the summer transfer window, the report adds.

The Times suggest Spurs are now ready to sell the defender before that happens for what they feel is his full market value - £50m.

The Independent claim Barcelona are now among the clubs interested in doing business this summer and are willing to make an offer if the contract stand-off continues. The Manchester Evening News recently reported United have been monitoring Alderweireld's situation from afar as they consider another central defensive signing.

However, United are wary of doing business with Tottenham's notoriously tough negotiator Levy.

Following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal during the January transfer window, Jose Mourinho has said he will not look to bring in any more attacking players during the summer transfer window and will instead focus on other areas of his team.

"It's bad for you because you like to have things to write and things to speculate especially in the summer, but I don't want attacking players so don't speak about attacking players coming here because nobody is coming here," Mourinho said in early February, Goal report.

"Juan Mata, Lukaku, Rashford, Martial, Alexis ... I don't want attacking players so for speculation in the summer you have to go to other areas, but for attacking players I am really happy.

"We have to improve not in the quality of the players, we have to improve in the dynamic of the team and in the efficiency because even on Saturday it was a game to score more goals than two."