Mourinho fury over lack of transfer action
Coach desperate to sign a top-level defender Key board members fail to attend Valencia tie
Jose Mourinho, the Manchester United manager, is on a fresh collision course with executive vicechairman Ed Woodward over transfers as he grows increasingly angry about a lack of activity.
Mourinho is desperate to recruit a centre-half next month and believes United’s defensive woes this season have underlined the folly of the failure to strengthen at the back in the summer.
The transfer window is due to open in just over a fortnight and United’s approach is likely to offer the clearest indication yet of their faith in Mourinho, amid continuing scrutiny over his position and doubts he will survive beyond the end of this season.
Jorge Mendes, Mourinho’s agent, issued a statement last week claiming United were “very happy” with his client, following more reports about the club’s interest in Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
But Mourinho distanced himself from that statement on the eve of United’s wretched 2-1 defeat by Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday and, after a summer when his centre-half targets were knocked back, he is concerned.
Mourinho would be willing to cash in on the likes of Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo or Phil Jones to boost prospects of signing a pedigree central defender but fears little active work is being done on ins and outs. United have been linked with Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli and Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.
In a separate issue, Mourinho is understood to have been annoyed that none of the key members of United’s board – executive cochairmen and brothers Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer or Woodward – was in Valencia to watch the game at the Mestalla.
With Juventus losing unexpectedly to Young Boys in Bern, United would have topped Group H and potentially had an easier draw in the round of 16 had they won. Defeat left Mourinho to claim witheringly that nothing he witnessed surprised him. United go into Sunday’s game against Liverpool at Anfield trailing the Premier League leaders by 16 points.
A source close to Mourinho said last night: “Nobody important from the board of directors was there in Valencia. We are near the begin- ning of the transfer window and nobody knows anything.
“They are not working on selling players [or] buying players. And they have 58 scouts and three scouting bosses. It is ridiculous. Jose believes this is not the best way to rule a football club.”
A United spokesman confirmed that Woodward was in the United States on business on Wednesday night and that Richard Arnold, United’s group managing director, was present in Valencia, along with Cliff Baty, chief financial officer, and Collette Roche, chief operations officer. Rebecca Britain, United’s club secretary, was also present.
“Effectively they are the most senior people in the organisation under Ed,” the spokesman said.
Nonetheless, Mourinho’s associate was unimpressed. “What importance have those guys in team matters?” he said.
The United manager is prepared to put his trust in some of his walking wounded at Anfield. David de Gea, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young will be restored to the starting line-up after Valencia.
Mourinho is hoping to be able to call upon at least one of Chris Smalling, Diogo Dalot or Matteo Darmian in an overhauled defence – all of whom were missing through injury against Valencia – and have Anthony Martial available in attack. Luke Shaw will be missing again with a calf injury but the left-back is expected to return soon.