Marouane Fellaini to Spurs: Jose Mourinho makes former Manchester United star 'January priority'

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly made former Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini a priority for his transfer business in the January window

Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment at Manchester United, midfielder Marouane Fellaini saw his playing time decrease.

Within just two months, the Belgian star had left Old Trafford, with Solskjaer apparently making it clear that Fellaini would not be getting more game time as the manager looked to change the club's style on the pitch.

The 32-year-old made the move to Shandong in China, where he has scored 12 goals in 32 games and has a contract that runs until 2021, with an option of a further year.

But rumours are now spreading that Spurs might be interested in bringing in the Belgian midfielder in the January transfer window, so what's the latest on his transfer status?

Mourinho makes Fellaini his 'top priority'

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly made Fellaini a priority to sign in the January transfer window.

Mourinho was sacked at Old Trafford a year ago, and is apparently eyeing a reunion with the Belgian star, who also left the north west of England just two months later.

According to Les Sports, Mourinho is hoping to bring the towering midfielder back to the Premier League, and has made signing the 32-year-old his top priority in the winter window.

Fellaini is still under contract until December 2021 with the option of signing for an additional year, but will not be in action until at least the end of February when the Chinese football season begins again.

Mourinho is notorious for forging close bonds with some players, and has apparently made contact with the 6ft 4in star about a potential move to north London after developing a good relationship in Manchester.

Mourinho's midfield is already well-stacked, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso arriving in the summer to supplement the likes of Harry Winks, Eric Dier and Moussa Sissoko.

However, Mourinho has apparently set his heart on adding the Belgian midfielder to the ranks.

What Mourinho has said about his squad

On his midfield:

"Was good [Dier and Sissoko against Burnley], but you know all the other midfielders are good. Ndombele, Skipp, Winks, Wanyama. The problem is not the quality of the midfield players, the quality again is the process. Going forward we were always good apart from the game against Man United where we were not as good as we can be."

Are they the best team you've inherited?

"I've coached Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea, I cannot say that. I can say that I love the squad in terms of the players they are and in terms of the human beings they are.

"I can say I had that feeling before I came and now I developed that feeling. I like them very, very much. But I cannot say that because that would be very, very unfair to some big players and big squads that I had and big trophies that we won together, but I love these guys."

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Will you be signing new defenders in January?

"It’s not the defence. It’s the defensive process which is a different thing," he said.

"When we speak about defence we speak about keepers, centre-backs, the mistakes you make at the back.

"That's not the way I look at things.

"I don’t look at individuals but the defensive process, and that belongs to 11 players on the pitch. It is in our organisation that we have to resolve our problems, not about one players, or signings. It's a process."