Everton Reportedly Scout Manchester United Defender Chris Smalling

Everton manager Marco Silva has reportedly sent his scouts to watch Manchester United defender Chris Smalling this season.

According to The Sun's Daniel Cutts, the Toffees are hoping to snap him up on a free transfer in the summer upon the expiration of his United contract.

The centre-back has been in talks with the Red Devils over a new deal and is hoping he'll receive an increase on his £90,000-per-week salary. United have the option to extend his terms by another year, though, so even if they don't give him a new contract, it's unlikely he will be available as a free agent until 2020.

If United exercise that clause, the Toffees will look into buying him in January instead.

A source at the Manchester outfit told Cutts:

"Chris has been looked at by a number of clubs, but Everton have shown a lot of interest.

"He is out of contract next summer, and there's been chats over extending it, but nothing has been finalised as of yet.

"There needs to be some protection of the investment in him, so don't be surprised if the new year deal comes in.

"If that doesn't happen then he will walk away at the end of the season. He can also talk to European clubs in January, we're aware of that."

Despite recruiting Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof since he took charge in 2016, manager Jose Mourinho has kept Smalling as a regular in United's back line.

After sitting out the team's first two matches of the season, the Englishman has played every minute of their campaign aside from the Carabao Cup clash with Derby County.

That's a total of 14 appearances for United in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, but they have kept just three clean sheets in that time—against Young Boys, Valencia and Burnley—and conceded 19 goals.

After United's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, Bleacher Report's Nick Akerman singled out Smalling as a player not good enough for the Red Devils, a view colleague Dean Jones expressed earlier in the season:

The 28-year-old has made more than 300 appearances for United and has 31 caps for England, but despite his experience, his decision-making is still questionable.

WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer expressed as much when he gave away a penalty against Everton in October:

Everton aren't a club of United's calibre, but they do have ambitions of breaking into the Premier League's top six.

As such, his questionable track record would make him an unusual target, particularly if they don't manage to land him for free.