With Jose Mourinho taking over the reigns at Manchester United, he has identified one player he had pursued as Chelsea manager as one of the top transfer targets for the Red Devils this summer.
As one of the most long drawn out football stories of the year finally reaches an end, Jose Mourinho is set to take over as manager at Manchester United from Dutchman Louis van Gaal. The Special one parted ways with Chelsea in December after relations broke down between him and a few key players, but he is set to start afresh at United and will be pursuing a few familiar faces.
£150 million war chest to be handed to Mourinho for transfers
Manchester United have spent over £250 million in the past two seasons on transfers under Louis van Gaal and that trend is unlikely to change under new manager Jose Mourinho. In fact the squad overhaul this summer may be the most massive one yet as the special one’s budget is anticipated to be a minimum of £ 150 million, according to the Guardian.
This means that Mourinho has the funds to continue his pursuit of the likes of John Stones, while his compatriots at Valencia and Sporting Lisbon, Andre Gomes and Joao Mario are also a part of his extensive shopping list this summer.
The Stones saga returns with a twist
Chelsea’s prolonged chase of Everton defender John Stones made headlines last summer after the Toffees rejected three successive bids for the player, rising up to a whopping £30 million. The 21 year old defender had even handed in a transfer request only to have it rejected too. The disappointment seemed to rub off on his club performances, as he has regressed this season after promising so much in 2014-15.
The English defender will definitely be one of the top targets for Jose Mourinho at Manchester Untited. Daley Blind has come under some criticism in his role as centre-back and is not a player that Mourinho would play at the heart of defense, considering that most Mourinho teams have boasted of the best defensive lines in Europe. This means that John Stones would be the perfect partner for Chris Smalling, who has improved in leaps and bounds this season.
Everton might be coaxed into selling the player to Manchester United, considering the two clubs’ transfer history. But Stones would definitely not come cheap, with a figure of £35-40 million being the least it would take to persuade Everton to let go of one of their best players.
Mourinho set to bring in some Portuguese talent
Even though long time Manchester United target Renato Sanches was snapped up by Bayern Munich, Mourinho has his sights set on two other very promising midfielders.
It has long been rumored that Valencia midfielder Andre Gomes is set to move to Old Trafford should Jose Mourinho be appointed manager. Both player and manager share the same agent, the infamous Jorge Mendes. While earlier reports had stated that Gomes would cost in the region of £35 million, it is now believed that Los Che are demanding £50 million for their 22 year old midfielder.
If Valencia drive a hard bargain, then Mourinho has already found a Premiera Liga talent who could be brought in instead. 23 year old Joao Mario has been heavily scouted by Manchester United in the closing stages of the season, and it is believed that he is also highly rated by Mourinho. Sporting CP want at least £27 million for Mario, and he would be a much cheaper alternative to Gomes while still possessing the quality needed to spruce up the United midfield.
However, it is also possible that both these young talents are signed by Mourinho as he looks to completely overhaul the midfield that his predecessor left behind for him. This, combined with the huge budget at his disposal and Mourinho’s connections to super-agent Jorge Mendes, means that it’ll be a hectic summer of transfers for the Red Devils.
