Manchester United look set to go through quite a few changes, as they bid adieu to the Louis van Gaal era.
The Dutchman was sacked just two days after he won the first title for the club after the Sir Alex Ferguson era. However, Van Gaal’s time at Manchester United has been marked with growing discontent from the players and the fans. Some media reports even claim that the players were on the brink of a revolt against their manager.
With Jose Mourinho being tipped by the British media as the favourite to take over as the manager from Van Gaal, it seems the Portuguese will make a number of signings to strengthen the team and take the club back to the top four spots in the Premier League once again.
Several reports have suggested that Mourinho will try to bring in some of the players who have already played under him at different clubs. Let’s take a look at three of Mourinho’s former players who could follow the Portuguese to Old Trafford.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Free Agent)
The Swedish striker has refused to sign a new contract with Ligue 1 champions PSG, and is said to be looking for greener pastures. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, especially as Jose Mourinho is tipped as the favourite to take over as the manager at the club. Ibrahimovic has a good relation with Mourinho, under whom he had played for a season at Inter Milan in 2008/09.
Signing Ibrahimovic could turn out to be a win-win for both the player and the club. The 35 year old is said to be preparing for life as a football manager and reportedly wants to work as a player/coach under Mourinho, in order to learn some of the tricks of the trade.
Also, Manchester United look like they have two great young forwards coming through in the form of Anthony Martial (20) and Marcus Rashford (18). Not only will Zlatan take the burden of goal-scoring off from these two young shoulders, but he can also act as a great mentor to these two.
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea FC)
The Serbia international was one of the best signings that Mourinho made at Chelsea. In fact, Matic’s contribution as a defensive midfielder was crucial to Chelsea’s Premier League triumph in the 2014/15 season. However, the midfielder has lost his good form and his place as a regular in the Chelsea starting XI in the 2015/16 season.
This might be the perfect time for Matic to start over at a new club, under the manager who has made him the star that he is today at Chelsea. Manchester United have had their problems in the middle of the park this season, and the addition of a midfield general like Matic could really help the Red Devils get back to their best.
Rafael Varane (Real Madrid CF)
The Real Madrid defender had burst onto the scene when Jose Mourinho was the manager at the Santiago Bernabeu, and reportedly shares a good relationship with the Portuguese. The Frenchman was scouted out by none other than Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane, who is currently the manager at Real Madrid.
However, the 23 year old is said to be looking for a possible move out of the Spanish capital as he has fallen down the pecking order, with Pepe and Sergio Ramos being Zidane’s preferred centre back pairing. In fact, reports from the English media have suggested that Varane will only move to Manchester United if the Red Devils hire Mourinho as their manager.
Manchester United have had their problems in defence, with David De Gea bailing them out on many occasions. A combination of injuries and bad form had even forced former manager Louis van Gaal to play holding midfielder Daley Blind at centre back. The addition of a top quality centre back like Varane could really help Manchester United strengthen their defence.
