Manchester United have reportedly slapped a £17 million price tag on Chris Smalling, who is said to be on Tottenham’s radar this summer.
Given Spurs’ poor defensive record this season, it is unsurprising that they have been linked with several defenders over the last few months.
Smalling has been one of the names mentioned as a possible target for Jose Mourinho, with the Spurs boss said to be keen on reuniting with the defender after building a great relationship during his spell at Old Trafford (Corriere Dello Sport via The Express).
The England international has had a new lease of life during his loan spell with Roma this season and the Serie A club’s manager, Paulo Fonseca, recently admitted his desire to keep Smalling at the Stadio Olimpico (ESPN).
However, Gazzetta Dello Sport (as relayed by the Express) now claim that United have slapped a £17 million price tag on the experienced central defender.
It is suggested that this might put Roma out of the running for Smalling as they are not keen to meet that valuation.
Spurs Web Opinion
Given the state of the market and the lack of money around in football, I imagine that Jose and Spurs will be happy to take Smalling as a temporary stopgap. However, I would personally rather see us offer Vertonghen the two-year extension that he wants rather than swoop for the Man Utd defender.
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