According to media reports, Jose Mourinho is prepared to wait until January before making further additions to his Manchester United squad, and instead will spend the rest of the transfer window trying to offload his fringe players.
It’s a curious decision by Mourinho who has insisted all summer that he needed at least four signings. United’s big target this summer was Antoine Griezmann but the Atletico Madrid striker decided to stay at the club due to their transfer ban.
In January that ban will be over and with Diego Costa heavily linked with a return to the red side of Madrid, could United be lining up a blockbuster move for the French international during the January transfer window?
After spending close to £160 million on Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic this summer, it is time for Mourinho to recoup some of that money through sales.
Despite reducing the squad wage bill by around £500,000-a-week with the sale of Wayne Rooney to Everton and the departure of the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, United have only raised £9.8m in sales this summer from Adnan Januzaj’s transfer to Real Sociedad.
The January exits of Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay to Everton and Lyon respectively raised £50m and United have had interest in several members of their squad this summer.
But while the likes of Chris Smalling, Anthony Martial, Matteo Darmian and Marouane Fellaini all face battles to secure regular first-team football this season, Mourinho is unwilling to sanction their departures, particularly so in the case of Smalling and Darmian due to the injuries that currently sideline Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo.
January could lead to a change of outlook, especially if Shaw and Rojo return to form and fitness, while Mourinho is prepared to offer Ibrahimovic a short-term deal in the New Year if the Swedish forward successfully returns to action following his cruciate ligament injury.
