Everton have reportedly been keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and a move at the end of the season, when the England international is out of contract at Old Trafford, could very well be on the cards.

As reported by the Sun, Smalling is currently busy negotiating a possible extension at United, but could be tempted by a move to Everton with Marco Silva particularly keen on pinning him down. Although the Red Devils have the option of keeping Smalling for a further 12 months, Everton are set to put a proper offer in-front of him with Silva already having sent scouts to United games to monitor him.

Smalling had a lot of up and down performances so far this season but has been at the heart of a United team that has experienced similar results. The instability of the team has been blamed on a lot of individuals part of the club, but it is almost certain that the ownership would back manager José Mourinho with the necessary funds in the next two transfer markets to sign the defenders he didn't get in the summer.

That could play a key role in Smalling's decision making, opening the door for Silva to offer him a spot in the Everton first team. The former Watford boss has mostly opted for a centre-back pairing of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma, while Yerry Mina made his debut on Sunday against Chelsea next to Keane.

The Toffees seem to have found their form in recent matches but would like to build a solid base for next season and the addition of Smalling could add a lot of experience for Silva to try and challenge for a European and possible Champions League spot.

With Zouma only on-loan at Everton, the chances are big that they might experience a shortage of centre-backs when next season gets underway. But with Smalling in the squad, Silva would be able to experiment as to who would be his best combination alongside Keane and Mina.