Mourinho and Man U at war over expensive transfer policy
JOSE MOURINHO’S relationship with Ed Woodward is at an all-time low with the pair at loggerheads over Manchester United’s transfer policy.
Sportsmail understands that Woodward,United’s executive vice-chairman, is reluctant to release more funds to manager Mourinho, who has spent over £70million so far on Brazil midfielder Fred, Portuguese right back Diogo Dalot and reserve goalkeeper Lee Grant.
United’s squad will be strengthened when Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard, among others, return from post-World Cup holidays but Mourinho is anxious to recruit further and presented Woodward with a list of five names ’a few months ago’.
There is no doubt United have the financial power to bid for targets and the inertia that Mourinho perceives has nothing to do with any kind of cash-flow issues. Woodward, though, has taken a stand not to release more money and that has startled his manager.
Mourinho’s mood has soured in recent weeks and his remarkable press conference following the 4-1 defeat by Liverpool on Saturday, in which he attacked anything and everything, shone a light on his feelings. He used the platform to apply pressure to Woodward.
Asked about some of the names with whom United have been linked, including Leicester’s England star Harry Maguire and Barcelona defender Yerry Mina, Mourinho replied: ”I would like to have two more players. I think I am not going to get two. I think that it’s possible I will have one. And that one,I gave a list to my club of five names a few months ago. And I wait to see if it’s possible to have one of these players. If it’s possible, it’s possible. If it’s not, it’s not. If it’s possible, it’s good. If not then we keep fighting and working and believing in the players we have.”
Woodward has not flinched in the last two summers in giving Mourinho resources to restructure the squad but the inclination to throw money at the situation is not a position with which the Old Trafford supremo agrees.
Tetchy mood
The manager’s tetchy mood and comments have been poorly received by several figures within the squad. Mourinho risked further alienating individuals when saying: ”This is not my squad, not even 30 percent my squad. Half these players won’t be here on August 9.” Mourinho has been detached from the group, spending time with assistant Stefano Rapetti, who was appointed this summer as part of a reshuffle that included the addition of former midfielder Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna, promoted from the academy.
THE finish was instinctive. From the moment it left his right boot, the ball was never going anywhere but the corner of the net.
Here was the latest evidence to show why Jurgen Klopp has been purring about Daniel Sturridge. This strike, in Liverpool’s 4-1 thumping of United, was another reminder of his quality.
Nobody foresaw a situation where Sturridge would play his way back into Klopp’s thoughts, certainly not after the England striker spent the end of last season exiled at West Brom.
He barely played at The Hawthorns and a parting of the ways seemed inevitable, with Liverpool prepared to take an offer of £15million.
But that loan has been the catalyst for this renaissance with Sturridge, who has 12 months left on his current terms.
”I don’t regret anything,” said Sturridge. ”The experience made me grow as a person. That is what it is all about. Evolving as a man, as a footballer. From the outside looking in, you can also improve.
”When you are on the inside looking out, you sometimes don’t see what you have to do to get to the next level, how you need to change.”
So how does he assess the challenge ahead of him?
Klopp’s first-choice attacking trident is Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino and that will leave some to wonder whether Sturridge has the hunger to fight for a chance.
”I have always been hungry,” said Sturridge. ”The hunger will never change. I’m taking every day as it comes with a positive mindset. I’m feeling great but it’s not just about me, it’s about the team. It’s about what we do as a bunch. Everyone is pushing themselves to the limit because we have got a big season ahead. We feel we can do something special, so we are all pushing ourselves. I have worked hard over the summer. I’ve put it in. But there is a lot more work still to come.”
Liverpool head for a week of training in France. Alisson Becker, the £65m goalkeeper, will join the group, as will Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold. This has been a positive few weeks for Liverpool, whose victory was completed by Sheyi Ojo’s penalty and an overhead kick from Xherdan Shaqiri, who has made an impression on Klopp.
”He came back a few days ago and was really excited,” said Klopp. ”For him it was a very good moment.”