Man United fans should be concerned by transfer strategy, Mourinho eyeing wrong recruits

Man United fans should be concerned by transfer strategy, Mourinho eyeing wrong recruits

Manchester United face a stern test this summer to improve on a disappointing Premier League campaign following a sixth placed finish, which is leading Jose Mourinho to splash the cash once again in the close-season.

The Red Devils invested significantly last summer to bring the likes of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly to Old Trafford but those recruits haven’t bolstered the side in the necessary areas.

Despite boasting a strong defence, there is definitely room for upgrades to Manchester United’s back-line and a top-class defensive partner to Bailly should be a priority, whilst the Red Devils also need to increase their options at full-back.


A new goalkeeper could also be necessary if David De Gea leaves for Real Madrid, and United would definitely have a huge issue finding a stopper capable of filling the void the Spaniard would leave, so it’s a worry to see the majority of signings linked with a move to the club this summer being attackers.

The latest reports suggest that Mourinho has identified a four-man short-list that he’s desperate to lure to Manchester United this summer, consistently of Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, Torino ace Andrea Belotti, Burnley defender Michael Keane and Nemanja Matic believed to be on his £200m short-list.

There is certainly room for a top-class attacker due to Wayne Rooney’s likely departure and Ibrahimovic’s long-term injury but it’s difficult to see where exactly both Griezmann and Belotti would fit into the side- especially as the Red Devils are also linked to Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic.

The wealth of attacking signings eyed by Mourinho raises huge question marks on the futures of Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford in particular, whilst it’s nigh impossible he’d be able to fit those three attacking targets into a line-up alongside Pogba, Mkhitaryan and the aforementioned trio.

United’s search for a defensive partner to Bailly may well be solved by Keane’s return to Old Trafford from Lancashire outfit Burnley but it’s the defence that is crying out for the most changes this summer, so the fact Mourinho seems to be focusing on the other end of the field is a concern.

Anything less than winning the Premier League next season would constitute as a failure for Manchester United and, at the current rate, the Red Devils look significantly short of mounting a successful challenge for Chelsea’s league crown.

Whilst being linked to an array of attacking recruits may be exciting for supporters, it doesn’t push United in the direction they need to go and it raises real questions about Mourinho’s plans.