Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Tottenham are unlikely to sign a player that they have been heavily linked with in recent transfer windows now that Jose Mourinho is no longer the club's manager.

Which player did Jose Mourinho want?

Mourinho is believed to be a fan of Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, and reportedly wanted to sign the centre-back last summer.

The club have continued to be linked with Skriniar heading into the upcoming transfer window, but it seems that they could turn their attention elsewhere now that Mourinho has left Spurs.

What has Romano said about Milan Skriniar?

Assessing the Skriniar situation on The Here We Go Podcast, Romano confirmed that Mourinho did want to sign Skriniar, but suggested that Tottenham's incoming manager may have different plans, and could seek to bring in an alternative central defender instead.

Romano said: "I was hearing that Mourinho was really intending to try again for Milan Skriniar, the Inter Milan centre-back, this summer. He wanted Skriniar one year ago, and he wanted Skriniar also some weeks ago to play for them next season. So, he was ready to try again, to convince Tottenham to try again for Skriniar.

"Mourinho wanted to try again for Skriniar, and now without Mourinho, in my opinion, Tottenham will go for a centre-back but maybe it will be a different one with a new manager. So it won’t change with the positions, so the centre-back, maybe a striker and let’s see what happens with the wingers, but for sure Skriniar is complicated because he was related to Jose Mourinho’s desire."

Why did Mourinho want to sign Skriniar so badly?

Skriniar, who is valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, has been in excellent form for Inter this season, with the club on the brink of winning their first league title since 2010.

The Slovakian defender has featured in 29 of their Serie A matches, and has played his part in helping the team concede only 29 goals all season. They currently have the best defensive record in Italy's top division.

Over in England, it seemed that Mourinho did not trust his defence, as he tried several different combinations at the back with little reward. It appears that he felt he needed a commanding figure to come in and improve the side's backline, and Skriniar's performances over the past year have highlighted how he could have been capable of carrying out this role for Mourinho at Tottenham.

Who might the new manager go for instead of Skriniar?

Tottenham have been linked with Joachim Andersen in recent weeks, who may be a more realistic option for whoever replaces Mourinho.

Andersen has impressed on loan at Fulham this year, and has a full season of Premier League experience under his belt, unlike Skriniar.

The Danish defender is also considerably cheaper than Skriniar, valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, and with Spurs reportedly having a restricted budget this summer, Andersen could now become the club's main defensive target ahead of Skriniar.