Manchester United are set to make huge changes to their squad this summer, as Jose Mourinho begins the second part of his major restructuring at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese boss splashed heavily a year ago to bring the likes of Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly to the club but his side have fallen short of expectations in the Premier League, finishing sixth.
Their finish, which is lower than the fifth-place United achieved under Louis Van Gaal last season, has come around due to concerning performances on the domestic stage for Mourinho’s men, who have remarkably drawn 15 matches this season.
Fortunately, Manchester United do still have an available passage into the Champions League next season via the Europa League final, where they’re due to play Ajax in Stockholm this week, but consistent transfer reports are a concerning distraction.
Huge names like Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann, James Rodriguez and Neymar are amongst some of the players linked with a move to Manchester United this week but the reports are coming with poor timing, as the Red Devils should be focused on their Europa League challenge.
A host of players within Jose Mourinho’s squad face an uncertain future at the club and the reports to big-name signings will be a distraction for those players- significantly Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata.
All of those top-class players could see their position at Manchester United come under threat by superstar signings this summer and the consistent links to top names will certainly not make their situation any more comfortable.
With Manchester United still facing a major challenge ahead of them, now is certainly not the time to be discussing an array of major transfer talks and the focus should lie on the field rather than of it.
Of course, there isn’t too much Manchester United can do to quiet the media, who are the ones running the reports, but the rumours have to start from somewhere and it’s clear Mourinho’s side are already working towards summer deals.
Whilst that may be necessary, Manchester United need to put a halt on discussions this week to focus on the Europa League- especially as winning the competition and securing a spot in the Champions League next season could be crucial in their negotiations to sign big names.
Tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on the final day will also raise pressure on the stars within Manchester United’s squad, as they’re likely to be left out and rested ahead of the final, which is understandably, but Mourinho’s decision to prioritise the Europa League has raised many questions from pundits and fans alike.