Alternate Manchester United XI Mourinho could've built with the money he has spent

Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Premier League
The former Atletico shotstopper has been at his imperious best this season

Its been one and a half years since Mourinho took over the reins at one of the biggest managerial jobs in world football, and he's managed to split fan opinions more than expected.

It was always going to be tough coming in with the high expectations of millions of fans around the world, especially after United's most barren spell since Sir Alex Ferguson took over.

To his credit, Mourinho has earned three major honours so far, including a Europa League title that placed the Red Devils in a rare and illustrious group of clubs to have won every major UEFA trophy.

Their domestic performances, however, have not been so flattering. A sixth place finish in his first season took the sheen off what should have been a very satisfying campaign, a season that was supposed to bring back the winning mentality to Old Trafford.

This year, in the middle of what has been the best season since Sir Alex retired, Pep Guardiola's rampant Man City squad has absolutely blown Mourinho's men out of the water.

Another constant source of ammunition for Mourinho's critics seems to be the amount of money that the former Chelsea boss has spent in the transfer window at United so far.

£89 million for Paul Pogba and £75 million for Romelu Lukaku might entitle fans to expect a lot from the marquee signings. However, every single dip of form the duo have suffered has been highlighted, and in some cases, blown out of proportion.

In fairness to Mourinho, Pogba has actually been pretty good this season, and Lukaku's goalscoring droughts are by no means an indication of what to expect from him.

But there is still a lingering feeling, even among the most hardcore fans of the Portuguese, that he might have spent the funds made available to him better elsewhere, even in this obscenely inflated transfer market.

So here's a look at an alternate XI that Mourinho could have built at United.


GK: David de Gea (£23 million from Atletico Madrid)

No need to tinker with this one.

If there were any doubts about it before, de Gea's heroics this season have firmly cemented his place as the best goalkeeper in the world right now.

UEFA's inclusion of Buffon in their team of the year has been accepted by most fans as a show of respect to the legend's contribution to the game, rather than a reflection of his form in 2017 (with all due respect to the man himself).

The only keeper anywhere close to the Spanish number one right now seems to be Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Still, you can't really do much better than having David de Gea in goal.

RB: Antonio Valencia (£17 million from Wigan Athletic)

Manchester United v Everton - Premier League
Valencia's long range screamer against Everton showed that he can still pull on his shooting boots if he wanted to.

Another player who's improved massively since Sir Alex's retirement, Valencia has gone from being Ronaldo's intended heir to one of the best right-backs in England, if not Europe, right now.

It might not exactly be the career path he would have envisioned when he joined United from Wigan in 2009, but Valencia can be proud of the player he's become under Mourinho and van Gaal.

United have actually been linked with a few right backs during Mourinho's time in charge, including Nelson Semedo and Serge Aurier. Both were intended to be long-term replacements for the Ecuadorian, who is 32 years old.

But for the moment, United will be more than happy to have the battle-hardened veteran guarding their right flank.

CB: Phil Jones (£17 million from Blackburn Rovers)

Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier League
Is it finally time for Jones to prove himself to the Old Trafford faithful?

Phil Jones still remains an enigma to most football fans. Every time he starts to show why Sir Alex had such a high opinion of him, he either gets injured or sustains a dip in form.

So far, this season has been one of his best in a red shirt. When he's fit, he's almost always a first choice, and for a notorious disciplinarian like Mourinho, that says a lot about his defensive abilities.

For all the internet memes and Facebook jokes, he's really matured as a defender under Mourinho. He's more composed on the ball and more assured going into a tackle. It also helps that he has a solid holding midfielder in Nemanja Matic playing in front of him, taking some of the burden off his shoulders.

The only issue remaining is his susceptibility to injuries. But given the fact that he's still only 25, he has plenty of time to work on his fitness and maybe he can eventually live up to SAF's predictions one day.

CB: Jose Gimenez (market value: £31.5 million)

Real Betis v Atletico Madrid - La Liga
One of the best young centre backs in Europe

Gimenez is a Uruguayan centre-back currently playing for Atletico Madrid. He was heavily linked with United before they moved to sign Lindelof from Benfica.

Gimenez is still only 22, and being more experienced than Lindelof, would have been a better signing. But Atletico managed to hold on to him amid interest from United, Arsenal and Juventus.

But this season, Simeone has mostly stuck to a centre-back pairing of Diego Godin and Stefan Savic, leaving Gimenez out in the cold with only six starts in La Liga. This may reignite Jose Mourinho's interest in the Uruguayan.

If a deal does happen, his market value is estimated at around £30 million, which would mean United would probably have to stump up at least £40 million to convince Atletico to depart with their player. Even at that price, Gimenez would be a great signing and an investment for the future.

LB: Marcos Alonso (£23 million to Chelsea)

Chelsea v Middlesbrough - Premier League
The best left back in the Premier League right now

Alonso was never linked with United in the first place. In fact, very few even knew much about the Spanish left-back before he signed for Chelsea for £23 million.

Fans were skeptical at first about spending so much on a relatively unknown entity, but Alonso has been a revelation for the Blues.

While his playing style might not evoke comparisons to attack-minded left-backs like Marcelo and Jordi Alba, his statistics reveal that he is one of the best goalscoring defenders in Europe right now.

With 6 goals and 1 assist, Alonso has already established himself as one of the best bargains over the last couple of years. With Mourinho and United still being linked to the likes of Danny Rose and Ryan Sessegnon to fill the problematic left back position, it looks like he could have solved a major headache for himself by signing Alonso.

LCM: Paul Pogba (£89 million from Juventus Turin)

Manchester United v FC Basel - UEFA Champions League
£89 million is turning out to be a bargain

Quite understandably, some United fans were upset that Pogba had been re-signed from Juventus for a (now not so) mammoth £89 million. It seemed to highlight the fact that Sir Alex had made a mistake in letting him go.

But the bigger picture was the statement of intent that it sent to United's rivals. It didn't matter that they couldn't offer Champions League football - the very lure of the Theatre of Dreams and everything that it represented was enough to attract a top talent.

Pogba has since proven every single critic wrong. When he plays in his favoured left central midfield role and orchestrates the play from the middle of the pitch, he is, to put it simply, unplayable.

With nine assists in just 13 matches this season, the Frenchman has grown into the role of United's midfield creator. For all the ridicule he attracts on the internet with his haircuts and dabs, he is one of the best midfielders in Europe.

CM: N'Golo Kante (£32 million to Chelsea)

Arsenal v Chelsea - Premier League
Chelsea signed Kante for £32 million - how much would he cost right now?

Both Chelsea and United were linked with the French powerhouse after his incredible title winning campaign with the Foxes (The Guardian), but the Red Devils were more hesitant in their approach. Many fans feared that Kante might turn out to be a one season wonder, and Chelsea swooped in to sign him for £32 million.

They couldn't have been more wrong. At the end of his first season in London, Kante became the first player since Eric Cantona to win back to back English top flight titles with two different clubs.

While Pogba has been impressive for United since re-signing for them, Kante's energy and combative approach in midfield would have greatly suited Mourinho's mentality. His diminutive build and playing style would also complement Matuidi's perfectly.

Alas, Kante's market value right now would easily be over €100 million. Mourinho should have signed him when he had the chance. Kante might not be as eye catching as Pogba, but he is just as as effective, if not more. Not to mention he would have cost £57 million lesser.

RCM: Ander Herrera (£32 million from Athletic Bilbao)

Ajax v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final
The Spaniard doesn't get the credit he deserves

The Spanish midfielder signed by Louis van Gaal in 2014 for £32 million would round off what would easily be one of the most energetic midfield trios in the Premier League.

Herrera, like his midfield partners, might not have a huge bag of tricks with him, but he is one of the most passionate United players on the pitch and his enthusiasm is almost infectious. Even more surprising considering he's not even a "local lad".

Last season under Mourinho was his best one yet. He was a regular starter in midfield, operating in a box-to-box role and contributing equally in attack and defence. But Matic's signing this season has reduced his importance to the team.

He still brings qualities to the side that few other players can. With Kante being the perfect midfield anchor, Herrera would have the freedom to push forward with Pogba and participate more in the final third, something that he hasn't been able to do for a while now.

LW: Anthony Martial (£53+ million from AS Monaco)

Swansea City v Manchester United - Premier League
One for the future!

When United signed a little-known French teenager from Monaco on deadline day in 2015, van Gaal was accused of making a panic buy. £53 million, plus a remaining £10 million should he be short-listed for the Ballon d'Or might seem a reasonable price for a teenage sensation right now, but let's not forget that this was in the pre-Neymar-to-PSG era.

However, his performances over the last two and a half seasons have been impressive. His first goal at Stretford End against Liverpool alone was enough to earn him a place in United folklore, but over the years, he's grown as a player to truly establish himself as a fan favourite.

It's easy to see how much the club means to him as well. In spite of being French and still struggling to learn the new language, Martial's passion for the team is apparent everytime he celebrates a goal.

To top it all off, he's still only 22 and yet to hit his peak. When he does, the very idea of seeing him alongside Pogba, Rashford and Lukaku is terrifying.

ST: Gabriel Jesus (£27 million to Manchester City)

Manchester City v Swansea City - Premier League
The Citizens got one over their neighbours with Jesus

Both Manchester giants were linked with the Brazilian striker before the noisy neighbours got one over United by signing him from Palmeiras for £27 million.

Given the number of players who migrate to Europe from South America and struggle to adjust to the European style of play, it wouldn't have been surprising if Jesus had hit a rough patch initially, being only 19 when he joined the Citizens.

But he hit the ground running, scoring seven goals in 10 league appearances before an unfortunate injury kept him on the sidelines for a while.

In retrospect, a player like Jesus was exactly what Mourinho needed to salvage a domestic season descending into a familiar downward spiral. The Red Devils had no shortage of creativity - it was the finishing that was letting them down.

Even though they have Zlatan and now Lukaku, Jesus' pace, trickery, movement and finishing would have provided United the best possible attacking outlet up front. The perfect target for their midfield creators.

RW: Ivan Perisic (market value: £41 million)

FC Internazionale v SS Lazio - TIM Cup
Should Mourinho have splashed out £45 million for Perisic in the summer?

If Mourinho had signed Perisic in the summer from Inter, it would have set United back by a cool £45 million, and that did not seem a reasonable fee for the 28 year-old winger at the time.

Understandably, when the Italians demanded Martial in return, Mourinho chose to drop his pursuit of the Croatian. Having struggled to find a player to fill a gaping hole on the right wing, Mourinho might start wishing they had paid the asking price for Perisic.

Perisic offers pace, width and incredible crossing ability that would have been devastating with an aerially strong striking partner like Jesus or Lukaku. He's already had one of his best individual seasons at Inter so far, and its still only January.

However, with Alexis Sanchez reportedly very close to a deal to come to Old Trafford, Jose won't be having any immediate regrets about missing out on Perisic.

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Edited by Christian Burke