Despite a summer of blockbuster transfer activity at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho is reportedly targeting the Everton defender to further strengthen his squad in January.
When David Moyes took over the reigns at Manchester United three years ago, the likes of Marouane Fellaini and Seamus Coleman were hot favourites to follow the Scotsman to Old Trafford. In the ensuing transfer window, only the Belgian completed the move, with Coleman opting to stay at Goodison Park instead. Three seasons and two managers later, the Irishman is once again back on United’s radar as they look to strengthen the full-back positions.
Matteo Darmian has been far from impressive at Old Trafford with injuries and inconsistency preventing him from nailing down a regular place in the starting lineup under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager is instead opting for Antonio Valencia at right-back. Although the Ecuadorian has a lot to offer in attack, he isn’t the most solid option defensively. As such, a natural right fullback like Seamus Coleman could be a good investment for the Red Devils.
According to the Mirror, Mourinho has requested Ed Woodward to line up a £16 million move in the January transfer window. United also have a youngster in Timothy Fosu-Mensah coming up the ranks, but as observed previously, the Portuguese is reluctant to place his trust in youngsters and is more comfortable with seasoned players in his starting lineup.
Coleman has played a total of 224 games in all competitions for the Toffees, boasting an impressive tally of 20 goals and 21 assists in that period. Over the last few years, the Republic of Ireland captain has established himself among the best right-backs in the league and in his prime, the 27-year-old will prove to be a worthy acquisition for Manchester United.
However, it will be interesting to see if Coleman chooses to leave the Toffees, who have had an impressive start to the season under new manager Ronald Koeman. United, on the other hand, will be able to tempt him with a lucrative contract and after shelling out £89 million for the services of Paul Pogba in the summer, a fraction of that for an upgrade in the right-back position shouldn’t prove to be too much of a hassle for Ed Woodward.
