Mourinho reportedly watched Emil Forsberg on Friday; Spurs should consider their own move

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Manchester United are reportedly pursuing RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.

Reports from the Daily Mail suggest that Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was watching RB Leipzig playmaker Emil Forsberg as he travelled to see Sweden take on Italy.

With the World Cup play-offs upon us, Sweden claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Italy on Friday night, with Jakob Johansson’s deflected strike handing them a first-leg advantage.

The two sides go head to head again tonight in Italy, but one man who was interested in the first leg was Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, who was spotted in the crowd alongside former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Daily Mail report that Mourinho was in attendance to watch RB Leipzig playmaker Emil Forsberg, ahead of a possible bid from Manchester United – but one club who should potentially look to enter the race is Tottenham Hotspur.

Forsberg racked up a stunning 19 assists in the Bundesliga last season, with the Swede emerging as one of Europe’s most underrated playmakers, having also hit eight goals.

Tottenham have relied heavily on Christian Eriksen for creativity, and whilst his injury record is fantastic, Spurs may need to think about another playmaking force in case Eriksen isn’t available – or if Tottenham end up receiving an offer for him that they can’t refuse.

Forsberg fits the bill, whilst his ability to play out wide or as a No. 10 – just like Eriksen – would give Pochettino flexibility when it comes to switching between his 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 systems.

One potential drawback would be Forsberg’s age, as at 26, he doesn’t necessarily fit the Spurs mould of signing young players with huge potential, but the addition of Fernando Llorente in August did suggest that manager Mauricio Pochettino will break his usual policy for the right player.

Forsberg, whether in addition to or as a replacement for Eriksen, would be a smart addition for Spurs, and they should consider joining Mourinho and United in watching the playmaker, starting with tonight’s game against Italy.