Manchester United defense still a work in progress under Mourinho
The Manchester United defense has been a hotbed of transition and disappointment as no one player has truly risen to prominence over the last several years.
Jose Mourinho has already smashed a transfer record this summer and spent a large sum of the Red Devils cash, but he still is believed to be looking at making some defensive changes at Manchester United this transfer period.
Although Chris Smalling has emerged as the primary go-to defender in the lat few years, there is truly yet to be a solid back four to protect David De Gea and United’s ability to control results on a game by game basis.
Some matches they are solid as a rock, other matches they are carved up like a hot knife through butter.
Even though Mourinho has seen his side largely impenetrable this season, he is yet to see what the top six clubs can do to his back line and that alone is believed to be seeing him ready to plunge into the market at least once more before the close window.
According to the Record, both Southampton captain Jose Fonte and AS Monaco rising star Fabinho are whom Mourinho has pegged with starting the defensive rebuild.
Those two signings could likely see the sale or loan moves of both Marcus Rojo and Matteo Darmain, whom have looked surplus to requirements all throughout preseason and the month of August.
Fonte has been a revelation for Southampton the last few seasons and the 32-year-old defender should be available at a better price than someone much younger and the Portuguese international still looks at the top of his game.
His arrival could be the two to three-year stop-gap that Mourinho needs as a veteran professional central defender while he builds the defense up the next few years from within and through transfers.
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Fabinho could provide another true fullback to the side and perhaps free up Antonio Valencia to return more to a wide midfield role or to be a case by case right wing back pending on the opposition.
Daily Blind looks solid at the back, but he is not naturally a central defender and his position in time is likely to be more in a holding midfield role or as a fullback.
There are certain to be changes in the coming new regime and this summer the defense is still a work in progress ripe for transition yet again.