Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hinted that the club may not add to the summer signings of Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant before the transfer window soon closes, while he also provided an update on the future of Anthony Martial, who could be sold.
United have ditched their attempts to sign a left-back, boosting Luke Shaw’s chances of saving his Old Trafford career, but the club has remained interested in a new centre-back and a new backup striker, with Harry Maguire and Mario Mandzukic both rumoured targets.
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But with less than three weeks before the early transfer deadline on 9th August, Mourinho has already warned of United going into the season with no further additions.
“One thing is what I want and another thing is what is going to happen,” the frustrated boss is quoted as saying by ESPN following a 0-0 pre-season draw against San Jose Earthquakes.
Mourinho’s response to questions about Martial was similar.
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The Frenchman’s agent, Philippe Lamboley, declared last month that his client wishes to leave United, following earlier speculation that the offer of a new contract had been rejected. But his manager insists whatever happens will definitely not be up to the player.
“I would like to be in Los Angeles now and I am in San Jose, you cannot do whatever you want in life,” Mourinho explained as he rolled out the ‘can’t always get what you want’ argument for the second time.
“I would love to arrive in LA, train in LA and play all my five matches in LA, not travel, not change hotel and then go back to Manchester,” he commented.
“I would like to play against Leicester [opening game of 2018/19 season] on Sunday but I have to play on Friday, so you don’t get always in life what you want.”
A report from the Daily Mail claims that Mourinho would be willing to see Martial go this summer if there is a suitable offer from a suitable buyer. That is because the Portuguese is said to not want to keep an ‘unhappy’ player at the club will ‘urge’ Old Trafford officials to sell.
Martial, who is still only 22 years of age, is reportedly of interest to Tottenham, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. The idea of a suitable club most likely means not a direct domestic rival, which seemingly rule out a move to another Premier League side.
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It is said that United would ask for £80m for Martial, a sizeable profit on the deal they agreed with Monaco back in 2015 that began at £36m rising to £58m.
Only a very quick sale would be of benefit for United as a saga that drags on for the remainder of the transfer window will not leave the club enough time to secure a replacement.