Tottenham and Everton are set to battle it out to sign on-loan Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, according to reports.
The 30-year-old is currently on loan to Serie A side Roma, and has grabbed the attention of several top-flight clubs following a succession of commanding performances in Italy, according to talkSPORT.
The Italian giants are keen to secure the resurgent defender on a permanent basis, but will have to fend off strong competition from Tottenham and Everton who have been monitoring his position.
According to Corriere Dello Sport, the Premier League duo have already made contact with United and the central defender’s agent, and have offered a higher salary than he is currently earning in Rome.
Mourinho is a great admirer of Smalling having worked with the defender from 2016-2018, and also believes that he will add much-needed experience to his side.
The Spurs boss is also bracing for life without Jan Vertonghen who is looking likely to move away from north London in the summer, and so Smalling could prove to be the perfect fit as he boasts ability and experience.
Smalling has featured 206 times for the Red Devils since joining from Fulham at the start of the decade, but it is believed that Smalling is no longer part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans, and he is willing to sell the player in summer should they receive a suitable offer.
Smalling’s contract is set to expire July 2022, and United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward believes the former England international is worth around £16.5million, which may rise if the central defender continues his impressive run of form.
Juventus have also reportedly shown interest in Smalling this term, and remain hopeful that they can entice the defender into swapping Rome for Turin.
The Englishman was asked about his future at a press conference today, and admitted: “To be honest, my main focus right now is on results. I think game-to-game that is all we can focus on.
“Am I enjoying myself in Rome? Yes, 100%. It’s a great club, a fantastic city, the passion of the fans and the love I’ve been shown by them since Day 1 has been absolutely fantastic.
“But I think anything else is not for now – I don’t want to distract from what we need to do right now. Which is winning on Thursday, winning on Sunday and get back to winning ways.”
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