As Jose Mourinho looks set to take over Manchester United after Louis van Gaal was sacked yesterday, he would want to make several changes to the squad to make it his own. It is believed that the Portuguese wants to make a number of marquee signings with many players looking to move out of their current clubs.
The probable appointment of Mourinho has divided opinion among fans of the club as some are looking forward to him while some are not so keen on seeing their once hated rival coach taking over. It looks likely that the former Chelsea boss will be given a massive £200m transfer kitty to mend the weakened United squad.
The Red Devils are in requirement of a massive overhaul despite winning the FA Cup against Crystal Palace. The last time United won a trophy was way back in 2013 when they were crowned Premier League champions under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.
According to reports, Mourinho has identified his transfer targets, who are such players that if he manages to sign even one of those, they would make a drastic change to the squad.
The following are the players that could end up at Manchester United under Mourinho
1) John Stones
Jose Mourinho has been a keen admirer of the young English centre-half. He tried to sign the Everton defender numerous times when he was at Chelsea, though the Merseyside club blocked all advances from Chelsea.
The Blues had even offered £40m to secure the services of Stones but to no avail. Mourinho, who is known to prefer strong defences and playing out from the back would definitely want to sign the Englishman for his good ball playing skills.
The sacking of Roberto Martinez has opened the door for Mourinho to come calling for the defender, who did hand in a transfer request during Chelsea’s approach. United face tough competition in the race for his signatures with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City also showing interest in signing the youngster.
Chelsea’s new boss Antonio Conte too has shown interest in signing him up. A bid of more than £40m is expected to be on the cards as Mourinho looks to bolster his back four.
2) Raphael Varane
It was Mourinho who made Raphael Varane the star that he is when he gave him his debut in the 2011/12 season when he was signed by him at Real Madrid. Mourinho trusted the man enough to play the then teenager to start against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey where he impressed tremendously stopping Messi and co.
He was then made first choice centre back for Madrid being paired with Sergio Ramos, usurping Pepe. Mourinho went as far to say: "Pepe's comments? It is very easy to analyse what he says. Pepe has a problem and his name is Raphael Varane," the Madrid coach stated at a press conference.
"A 31-year-old has lost his place to a 19-year-old. It’s the law of life. But who had the courage to field Varane? I did."
Soon after Mourinho’s departure from the club, Varane found himself down the pecking order under the next bosses Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Zinedine Zidane. He has also found himself often in the injury room, which has hindered his development.
Mourinho remains a huge fan of the young Frenchman and is understood to have identified him as a transfer target, who could be available for a price of £30m. Thus, it is believed that the former Real Madrid boss would like to make a push for the Frenchman this summer.
3) Nemanja Matic
The former Chelsea boss looks set to raid his old club in order to bring one of his main players in the title-winning season to Manchester United. Mourinho bought Nemanja Matic from Benfica back to Chelsea in the 2013/14 season for a price of £21 million.
He played an integral part in the title winning season, playing almost all games. United could do with a midfielder as both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin have failed to impress at the club.
The Serbian had found it hard to gain his place back in the Chelsea midfield after having a series of bad games due to injuries and missing out due to suspensions. He lost his place to John Obi Mikel who was resurrected by Chelsea’s interim boss, Guus Hiddink.
Nemanja Matic is believed to be looking for a way out having lost his place and a bid in excess of £25million would make Chelsea consider the prospect of selling him.
4) Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is a player Mourinho would love to have in his team because of the simple fact that he is a hard-working and versatile player. Icardi can play as both winger and striker and the former Chelsea manager has a habit of buying players who can play in multiple positions.
A new forward would also release pressure from Wayne Rooney’s shoulders, who will look to partner him up front. Icardi is coming off a great season scoring 16 goals in 29 games for Inter Milan.
United’s main problem last season was scoring goals in the league having scored a paltry 49 in the entire campaign. It was the lowest goal tally United have had in a long time. So it is logical to say that the Portuguese would want to bolster his attack by signing Icardi, who could be available for a price of £30 million to £35 million.
5) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If Zlatan is available, you sign him. Ibrahimovic, who is currently a free agent having played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain is available in the market. Mourinho is a very big fan of the Swede whom he coached for one year during his time at Inter Milan.
The dangerous striker is coming off the best season in his career having scored 51 goals for PSG. The 34-year-old seems to get better with age having won a league in each country that he has played in. He has scored 20+ goals in each of his last 10 seasons, which is quite an achievement while also creating lots of chances for his teammates.
The tall striker is surprisingly acrobatic and quick for his size, having a black belt in Taekwondo. A player of his calibre would make United instant contenders for the title as he adds aggression to the team’s lineup. Pairing him up with club captain Wayne Rooney would have most fans licking their lips.
Ibrahimovic has told the world in the past that he would love to play under Mourinho once again, saying that he would kill for Mourinho.
The fact that Zlatan does not have any transfer cost as he is a free agent could be a big player for United. This looks most likely as it is reported that Mourinho would like to build his team around Ibrahimovic.
