Manchester United: Blind interest; Mourinho wants one more; new contract for youngster

By Sam Leveridge

Jose Mourinho may have already made several big additions to make the Manchester United squad his own, but he’s not done yet. ESPN report that the Portuguese manager wants at least one more addition this summer with a central defender his top priority as he looks to add experience and quality to a shakey back line which looks set to have an entirely new look under Mourinho than when compared to his predecessor Louis Van Gaal.

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They claim that the former Real Madrid boss has highlighted one of his former players, Raphael Varane, and Leonardo Bonucci as the two players who he wants to add the final piece to the Manchester United jigsaw, but neither deal would be easy to pull off and neither would come cheap for the Red Devils.

Varane is very highly rated in Madrid, particularly by boss Zinedine Zidane, and having missed out to United in the battles for David De Gea and Paul Pogba, the Spanish club are understood to be reluctant to negotiate any kind of deal with Ed Woodward and his team. Elsewhere, Bonucci is reluctant to leave his beloved Juventus this summer despite impressing for Italy in the Euros and it would take a massive offer for the Turin club to allow two of their key players to depart for Manchester in one summer.

That means that both deals targeted seem unlikely, but then again, a move for Paul Pogba looked unlikely at the start of the summer, so a bit of Mourinho’s magic may help to pull off another coup for the club.

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That could affect the future of Daley Blind, who the Telegraph report will be subject to a bid from Inter Milan. With a £17 million bid on the cards, it seems as though the Dutchman could reunite with his compatriot and former Ajax boss Frank de Boer who has just taken over the hot seat at the San Siro and is hoping to strengthen a leaky back line which cost the Italians dearly last season.

Blind is not wanted by Mourinho and a move would be best for all parties, with Blind reaching what should be the peak of his career. Versatile and composed on the ball, Blind is a good player proven at the top level, but as Bastian Schweinsteiger has seen, if a player is not wanted by Mourinho, their days at the club are numbered whether they like it or not, and an imminent exit seems inevitable.

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That makes it all the more surprising that Timothy Fosu-Mensah has agreed a new four year deal according to the Telegraph. The Dutch defender was rumoured not to be wanted by the new boss, but having impressed in pre-season the youngster is set to stay, perhaps as the Portuguese manager tries to prove that he can develop youth in the way that bosses are keen for him to do at Old Trafford.

Fosu-Mensah has impressed in spells in the past but seemed inconsistent at times and will be on the edges of the first team squad as he proves his quality. This contract may be one for the future more than the present, but should Mourinho fail to get his wish of a defensive addition, Fosu-Mensah could start to get substantial game time sooner rather than later.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Diego Calderón.