Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly told the club to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.

Mourinho signed Varane for Madrid during his time as manager at the Bernabeu and is reportedly keen on a reunion in North London, having also failed to prise him away from the Spanish capital while he was in charge at Manchester United.

El Desmarque reports that the Portuguese boss has now urged Daniel Levy to try to sign Varane in an attempt to bolster his defensive line.

Spurs have conceded 15 goals and kept just one clean sheet in Mourinho's nine matches at the helm so far, and he is eager to tighten things up at the back during the January transfer window.

The report claims that Spurs are preparing a bid of €80m (£68.3m) for the World Cup-winning centre-back, although Madrid are likely to hold out for a bigger fee.

Varane is thought to be open to the idea of playing in the Premier League amid speculation that he is seeking a new challenge.