Rumour has it that Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho might be targeting three or four first-rate acquisitions this summer as he looks forward to transforming his team into serious title contenders.
All football pundits agree that “The Special One” – as the Portuguese national is fondly referred to – has had a fairly promising debut season at Old Trafford. This has been made possible by his team’s EFL Cup and Community Shield triumphs with the icing on the cake being the Europa League victory on Wednesday.
The sweet 2-0 victory against Ajax comes with a triumphant return to the Champions League for the “Red Devils,” after coming from a disappointing Premier League campaign where they finished a distant 6th.
Mourinho might be least bothered by the seven-point gap his side fell short of to clinch the fourth position as compared to the 24 points range between him and the current EPL champions – his former club Chelsea. This is definitely something that “The Special One” would really love to fix next season.
According to reliable sources, transfer plans have been underway as Mourinho moves to fortify his side. It is believed that Manchester United is eyeing three to four high-quality targets during this transfer window.
A clear departure from the extensive summer signings that were made by Louis Van Gaal, Mourinho will be most likely interested more on quality as opposed to quantity as he moves to put together a formidable squad that will have the wherewithal to put up a spirited challenge for the title. The Manchester United fans who bet are keenly following Mourinho’s every move, especially after the EPL had a bag-full of surprises for them.
Possible New Signings
Top of the Red Devils’ summer wish-list is said to be Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann after the Frenchman recently admitted that there is a six out of ten probability of him joining Manchester United. The France international attacker’s contract has a £86.7 million (100 million euros) buyout clause.
The other top players believed to be on Mourinho’s radar are Chelsea’s midfielder NemanjaMatic and Burnley’s Michael Keane. Behind the scenes at Old Trafford, expectations will definitely be high with a crazy transfer market in the offing this summer.
Since those in the Premier League have an enhanced financial muscle, smaller clubs now have a leeway to turn down huge offers and bid for higher quality players, even as the investment at clubs overseas makes the market more complicated to operate in.
However, Manchester United is currently in a better place as compared to many other clubs due to the fact that its finance and history has been augmented by its Wednesday’s securing of the Champions League Qualification.
The Most Probable Outgoings
As it were, the summer transfers are unlikely to be over without some outgoings too. After the Europa League victory, United’s captain Wayne Rooney is on record saying that he has “More or less” made up his mind on his future at Old Trafford but has to discuss this with his family before he goes public about it.
Another United player whose future is in the team is unclear is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Manchester United top scorer is apparently out of contract this summer. David De Gea has also been strongly associated with a possible move to Real Madrid. This is a club that he almost joined two years back. Another player on the likely to be on the move is Michael Carrick who will see his current deal expire this summer.
There also are many more first-team team United players who are subject to speculation this transfer season. While Adnan Januzaj is most likely to leave following an underwhelming time at the recently relegated Sunderland, Andreas Pereira needs to get a first team chance in the pre-season matches, after a promising time on loan in La Liga with Granada.
