Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho personally called Thomas Meunier two days ago in a bid to scupper Borussia Dortmund's move for the Paris Saint-Germain right-back but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will need to be persuaded to sanction a deal, sources have told ESPN.
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Mourinho wants a new right-back and Meunier, out of contract at PSG in June, is at the top of his list. Sources have told ESPN that Meunier has agreed terms with Borussia Dortmund, but that has not stopped Mourinho from trying to arrange a move.
The Spurs boss had a long chat with the Belgium international, sources have told ESPN, and the defender was flattered by his call. Mourinho also told Meunier he would have to convince Tottenham chairman Levy to sign the 28-year-old, with the Spurs chief looking to bring down the average age of the squad.
Meunier's agent, Jacques Lichtenstein, knows Levy well and is also close to Pini Zahavi, who helped broker Tottenham's last two moves for PSG players: Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura.
Meunier is looking at his options, with Dortmund confident of getting their deal for him over the line. Sources have told ESPN that Meunier would rather stay in Paris, where he moved to from Club Brugge in 2016, but the French champions will not offer him a new deal.
The club are instead looking at other right-backs including Achraf Hakimi, who is at Dortmund on loan from Real Madrid, Rennes' Hamari Traore and Adam Marusic at Lazio.