Manchester United’s failure to land key targets a huge blow to Premier League hopes
Jose Mourinho’s failure to make significant upgrades to the existing squad could cost Manchester United a lot in the Premier League race this season.
Manchester United were pretty quiet for most parts of the transfer window this summer. They started by sealing quick deals for Fred and Diogo Dalot. Lee Grant became their third signing as Joel Pereira and Dean Henderson were looking for loan moves to gain experience.
But there was no activity at Old Trafford since the end of the World Cup. Centre-back was Jose Mourinho’s top priority in the transfer window. The United gaffer submitted a list of players he wanted the club officials to bring in this summer.
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Toby Alderweireld was on the top of the list. But Ed Woodward reserved attitude ensured that Tottenham keeps hold of the Belgian International without much effort. Harry Maguire was a target after his impressive performances in Russia but would have costed the same as Alderweireld.
Jose Mourinho also wanted to add a backup striker or forward. Marcus Rashford wasn’t able to impress the Portuguese boss last season when he led the United line in the absence of Lukaku. Anthony Martial couldn’t handle the constant criticism from the manager and was looking to move elsewhere.
There were some talks about a move for Ivan Perisic. The Croatian forward showed some interest in England but Manchester United didn’t make much of an effort to sign him this summer.
Jose Mourinho is clearly frustrated with United officials. Eventually, the blame for lack of signings will have to be borne by him. Ed Woodward’s extravagant signings in previous summers have made clubs wary about the fact that Manchester United have the cash to splash.
The market has been crashed since Neymar joined PSG last summer. Woodward’s change of policy certainly hurt Jose Mourinho’s chances of winning trophies this season. His rivals have significantly upgraded their squads and improved their chances of mounting a challenge for the Premier League.
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Luckily for Mourinho, the World Cup stars have returned to Old Trafford, ensuring that he has his best players for the start of this season. Few of them are likely to feature in the Premier League against Leicester City on August 10. It will be interesting to see how the United gaffer goes about this season and whether he can win or at least challenge for the Premier League.