The Manchester United player Tottenham should not pursue

Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing in Manchester United loanee Chris Smalling during the summer to shore up Tottenham’s back line. 

Smalling is currently on loan in the Italian capital, plying his trade for Roma. And he’s excelling in the Serie A, consistently impressing as a reliable presence. The United player was sent out on loan for various reasons, with his lack of consistency and tendency to make a catastrophic blunder two primary causes for his exodus.

Whether due to a change in environment or because he’s marshalling a rearguard in a league with an entirely different style, Smalling has shown the maturity and professionalism everybody expected from him at Old Trafford.

Mourinho is a massive supporter of the 30-year-old and is interested in securing his signature. My first thought goes directly to his age. Spurs already have two 30-year-old stalwarts marshalling their back line, one of whom, Jan Vertonghen, may not be around for another year. The best centre backs can play at an elite level until they’re 32 or 33, so age isn’t a deterrent.

But going after Smalling is not the answer. While Smalling is enjoying some of his best football at Roma, his £80,000 weekly salary is too much for what he offers in return. His irregular, unconvincing time at United should not be forgotten simply because he’s enjoying a fruitful season in Italy.

He wasn’t good enough at his time in Old Trafford, so what makes us think he’ll be the type of upstanding leader for a starting role at Spurs. We need a younger centre back, someone who is, or will be, a bonafide leader. Someone with a long, prosperous future ahead of him.

Tottenham can not afford to gamble with another player who’s soon entering the twilight of his career. Toby still has a few good seasons left. He needs to be paired with someone he can mentor and inspire, like Dayot Upamecano for example. 

Sure, the RB Leipzig prodigy is only 21 years old, but he’s already playing an integral role in the Champions League.

It’s not good business to go after a United has been, somebody who never truly, even in his prime, lived up to his lofty potential. What makes us think Smalling will live up to it in north London during the dying embers of what has otherwise been an underwhelming career?