As the summer drew to a close it was reported that Tottenham failed in a bid to sign midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
The Frenchman, signed from Southampton for a fee rising to £27 million just over a year ago hasn’t been in the plans of Mourinho, and he looks like that is unlikely to change any time soon.
So is he still somebody Tottenham should sign? Is he even somebody they need?
The reason for the interest is quite obvious. It was Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino that got the best from the former Southampton midfielder, and he is clearly a player that the Tottenham manager rates very highly.
He has a great ability to read the game, makes tackles and interceptions and has a great passing ability. The kind of all-round play that makes him perfect for playing as one of the two deep-lying midfielders that Pochettino likes to employ.
But currently, Tottenham have Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Dembele vying for these positions. Even so, they lack somebody with the ability of Schneiderlin.
Far too often in this Tottenham team, they struggle to move the ball quick enough. Both Wanyama and Dier are average passers, and so is Dembele. They struggle to move the ball from defence into the attacking midfielders and break the opposition’s midfield press.
Currently, they rely on Dembele to carry the ball forward, his ability to beat a man and open up the game is vital for them. But by the time a lot of the Tottenham attacks get started, their attacking midfielders have been picked up and really struggle to find space.
What they need is somebody who once they have won possession, can find the likes of Alli, Son and Lamela quickly with fast accurate forward passes. You’d have to say that Schneiderlin fits this profile perfectly.
One problem is that Manchester United see Tottenham as competitors and it is unlikely that they will want to strengthen a rival. And even if the Frenchman convinces the club to let him go to Tottenham, he is unlikely to come cheap, and you have to wonder whether Tottenham would spend £20million on a player that would be one of 4 midfielders vying for a starting place, and not necessarily first choice.
But Pochettino has already shown that he has a ruthless streak if he feels his team can be improved, as shown by one of last seasons best players – Eric Dier, struggling to get into the side ahead of Victor Wanyama so far this term.