The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Mourinho fails to bring new blood to Old Trafford
Jose Mourinho’s hopes of reinforcing the Manchester United squad before kicking off the new season tomorrow were extinguished as the transfer deadline came and went without any new arrivals.
Last season may have been United’s highest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired but the 19-point gap to runaway Premier League champions Manchester City underlined the improvements required.
Brazil international Fred, highly-rated but raw full-back Diogo Dalot and third-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant all arrived at United by early July, but nobody followed despite Mourinho’s explicit desire to bring in two more players.
At the end of the month the Portuguese was speaking with confidence about getting at least one more signing in but those hopes began to fade and the deadline passed without an acquisition as Mourinho predicted.
Mourinho, speaking ahead of tonight’s Premier League opener against Leicester, said: “I am not confident, and the market closes today, so it’s time, at least for me, to stop thinking about the market because the market will be closed.”
Leicester’s refusal to sell Harry Maguire scuppered any move for the England star, while moves for Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin fell through, while an official offer was not made for Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld.
Leicester will visit Old Trafford boosted by the news that England striker Jamie Vardy has signed a new four-year contract.
Vardy has scored 88 goals in 233 games for the club since his arrival from then non-League Fleetwood in 2012.