Report tips Solskjaer arrangement where Mourinho plucks Man Utd man
New Roma boss Jose Mourinho has eyed up Manchester United defender Eric Bailly and could let a familiar face move back to Old Trafford, a report claims.
The hard work for Mourinho has begun as he looks to drive his latest club back up the Serie A table. While he used his unveiling to hit out at former sides United and Tottenham, he will now settle into his role. Earlier reports have claimed that the manager has been busy building a formidable scouting network.
Mourinho has snapped up the scout who found Harry Maguire and a host of other stars for Leicester.
As for new signings for Roma, though, Il Tempo (via Sport Witness) claims that the Portuguese has his eye on Bailly.
Mourinho brought the Ivory Coast international to Old Trafford in 2016 from Villarreal. However, he has struggled with injury and has only played 106 times in five seasons.
Nevertheless, Bailly recently revealed a conversation with Mourinho which convinced him to snub Manchester City. As such, those connections could prove crucial in the manager’s reported search to re-sign him.
As part of the deal, though, the Italian source claims that Chris Smalling could move back to Manchester.
Smalling enjoyed nine solid years at United – including two-and-a-half with Mourinho. However, he struggled for game time after Maguire’s £80million arrival into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
As a result, he left on loan for Roma in summer 2019, making the deal permanent last year.
Bailly currently looks unlikely to leave Old Trafford after signing a new contract. Similarly, Smalling would still struggle for game time with Maguire and Victor Lindelof currently the first-choice centre-back partnership.
Should one of them leave, though, as well as potentially Axel Tuanzebe, there could be room for Smalling. That is despite transfer links with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane continuing.
The report adds that Roma would let Smalling go if they received a suitable offer from United.
Pogba wanted in Man Utd transfer
Elsewhere, reports claim that Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a bid for United midfielder Paul Pogba.
The 28-year-old has entered the final year of his deal, but has yet to renew.
As such, the French giants are ready to test the Old Trafford club’s resolve, a report claims.
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