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Football

11th Apr 2021

Marouane Fellaini linked with José Mourinho reunion at Tottenham

You think Jose Mourinho has done all the damage he can to Tottenham Hotspur and then a story breaks about him reportedly wanting to sign Fellaini

Reuben Pinder

Yes, please, make it happen

You think José Mourinho has done all the damage he can to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, stripping them of any entertainment value, creating an atmosphere so toxic, blaming players for defeats just a year after saying how happy he was with the squad he inherited and then spending lots of money on more players, you think it can’t get much worse for the club.

And then a story breaks claiming he is preparing to bring Marouane Fellaini to the club.

This is not a slight on Fellaini, the 33-year-old has maximised his talents throughout his career and proved a useful option for a succession of different managers. But it’s not exactly an indication that Spurs are travelling in the right direction, is it?

The story comes from Belgian site Voetbal24, who report that Fellaini’s current deal with Chinese club Shandong Luneng, set to expire in December, will be terminated early to facilitate a return to Europe, with Mourinho keen to reunite with the midfielder.

Fellaini was a key part of Mourinho’s Manchester United side, playing 28 times in the Premier League during Mourinho’s first season at Old Trafford before injuries and new signings limited his playing time from 2017/18 onwards.

Since 2019, Fellaini has played in the Chinese Super League, scoring 13 goals in 40 games for Luneng, and understandably wants one last hurrah back in Europe before calling it a day.

This summer will be hugely significant for Spurs, as chairman Daniel Levy looks to keep hold of an increasingly frustrated Harry Kane – probably their only player to perform at a high level all season, with Heung-min Son just behind.

Whether or not bringing Fellaini to the club will convince Kane he can achieve his football ambitions at Tottenham remains to be seen, but in the words of the great Nigel Pearson, my suspicion would be no.