Spurs wary of when Mourinho comes calling

TOTTENHAM may stock up on water and milk ahead of this evening’s FA Cup semi-final to dissuade Jose Mourinho from approaching their dressing room. Mourinho often enters opponents’ quarters after games, and Mauricio Pochettino voiced his dismay at Mourinho making a beeline for Eric Dier last season.

“Mourinho and I had finished our interviews at Old Trafford and the players were doing their warmdown on the pitch,” Pochettino wrote in his book Brave New World. “When Jose was done with the press, he stood by the entrance to the tunnel and regarded the returning players.

“He greeted Moussa Sissoko and hugged Dier. They passed by me en route to the dressing rooms, laughing, speaking in Portuguese. Maybe it is a common Mourinho tactic, but he put Eric in a compromising position. You cannot do that after a defeat.”

The irony is Pochettino made a beeline for Luke Shaw at Spurs and United’s Under-23 meeting in August, where Mourinho was not present but a United coach appeared visibly unimpressed. Shaw contributed to Pochettino’s book and his first sentence recalls their ‘first hug.’

“I don’t know if it is Mauricio’s words or it is his ghost writer’s,” Mourinho said in October. “Maybe it is to try and sell books. Maybe his ghost writer wants to make some money. What I do know is that every season, during the summer, before every season he calls me and I call Mauricio and we ask about each other’s players to see if they are or not available.”

Pochettino’s hypocrisy has ensured United and Tottenham’s off-pitch rivalry still simmers.

Mourinho had identified Dier as a defensive midfield target last summer. Dier was ‘desperate’ to make the move but it is understood his representatives were timid in their efforts to force through a move.

Dier did not rock the boat publicly. Danny Rose, smarting from Walker’s City switch, did. The leftback pined for United in a frank interview and was fined by Spurs.

The Reds are prepared to bid for Toby Alderweireld, who played his first game in two months on Tuesday as he refuses to change his stance on a new contract. The 29-year-old’s deal expires next year but Spurs have the option of an extension, only that would trigger a £25m release clause.

A potential complication is Tottenham’s chairman Daniel Levy. Sir Alex Ferguson lamented Michael Carrick’s 2006 ‘negotiations were very difficult and went on for ages. I thought it was done and [former chief executive] David Gill phoned me on the golf course to say they want more. Typical Daniel Levy!’

United have not signed anyone from Spurs since Dimitar Berbatov in 2008.