Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho reportedly wants defender who he asked to be brave in 2017

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Tottenham left it late to finally put Aston Villa to bed yesterday with Son Heung-min scoring in the final minute of stoppage time to ensure a 3-2 victory.

Jose Mourinho’s team are now just a point behind Chelsea, although Frank Lampard’s team do face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge this evening.

Although Spurs have 12 games left to play this season, it would seem that some talk is already turning towards the summer transfer window.

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport are reporting that Tottenham are interested in signing Manchester United defender Chris Smalling ahead of next season.

The 30-year-old is enjoying a successful season at Roma where he has played 24 times for the Serie A outfit.

His form this season doesn’t make it a surprise that Tottenham are keen on signing the defender. Some previous claims from Mourinho, however, perhaps will raise some eyebrows.

When the Portuguese boss was in charge at Manchester United, he claimed Smalling and some of his United team-mates needed more courage.

He was referring to an injury crisis at the back when he felt that some of his players could be doing more to get themselves out of the treatment room.

He told The Guardian in April 2017: “It’s not just about them, it’s about the philosophy and mentality around them.

“There is a cautious approach and it’s time to be brave – to take a risk – because for the team you have to do everything.”

Reunion

Despite these comments, Smalling was a regular under Mourinho for the Red Devils at the start of last season.

The defender actually told The Independent that he viewed the comments as a positive as it meant his manager wanted him back out on the pitch.

Re-signing Smalling would be the ultimate seal of approval when it comes to Mourinho backing the United man as a quality player.

He has been reborn at Roma and several clubs could be interested.

Smalling is thought to be valued at £16.5 million by United. For a player boasting over 300 appearances for the Red Devils, that seems like a good deal.

His expertise could be useful in a young Tottenham squad. He is paid £70,000-a-week at United and that sort of salary would fit nicely with Spurs’ wage structure.