Jose Mourinho targets January swoop for ex-Man Utd star Marouane Fellaini

Marouane Fellaini and Jose Mourinho had a close relationship at Manchester United. [Courtesy]

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in bringing his former player Marouane Fellaini to the club in the January transfer window.

Fellaini is now at the Chinese side Shandong Luneng after current Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer let him leave the club earlier this year, but the 32-year-old is thought to be open to a return to the Premier League.

Fellaini played under Mourinho during his time at United, and according to Les Sports Mourinho wants to reunite with the Belgian.

The towering midfielder has impressed during his spell in China, scoring 12 goals in 32 games, and helped his side to China's equivalent of the FA Cup final.

With Spurs' starting 11 generally made up of young, relatively inexperienced players, Mourinho is thought to be keen to add some more senior members to his squad, although he recently ruled out a move for another of his former players, the 38-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Chinese league does not re-start until the end of February or the beginning of March, meaning Fellaini has some time to consider his future and weigh up his options.

Fellaini has impressed at Shandong Luneng. [Courtesy]

Despite rumours suggesting Mourinho is looking to bring in at least one or two new players in January, reports have claimed chairman Daniel Levy will not allow him to spend much money in the winter transfer window, with big repayments needed on Spurs' new stadium. It remains to be seen whether Shandong Luneng demands a big transfer fee for Fellaini, but it is certainly a move which would be an interesting one to keep an eye on, with Mourinho and Fellaini known to have a good relationship stemming from their two-and-a-half years working together at United.

Spurs are next back in action in the Champions League against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, although they are expected to put out a youthful team having already secured qualification for the knockout stages.