Jose Mourinho continues to plan ahead for his Manchester United side as his ‘Galactico’ transfer policy sees his side start to take shape after a busy summer. However, with one eye on the future, the Manchester Evening News say that Wagner Ribeiro; agent of PSG ace Lucas Moura, claims Mourinho is chasing the Brazilian. Ribeiro claimed that the Portuguese boss wanted Moura at Real Madrid and is still interested, saying:
“Who called Lucas Moura (from Real Madrid), who wanted Lucas Moura wasn’t Florentino Perez, it was Mourinho. Mourinho was, and is, passionate for Lucas Moura. So much so that now at Manchester he wants Lucas as well.”
Moura would be an exciting attacking option and would resolve a problem by giving an option on the right hand side, with the majority of the current United attackers favouring the alternative flank, including the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Having signed for the Parisian giants in 2013 for a fee of £38 million, the Brazilian would not come cheap, and does not offer the best goal return of a wide attacker, but that doesn’t rule out a move.
The Manchester Evening News also report on a potential alternative, with Mourinho said to have offered Colombian attacking midfielder James Rodriguez a major role in his new look line-up should the World Cup 2014 star accept a £60 million move to Old Trafford in the near future. Rodriguez does not feature in Zinedine Zidane’s plans at Real Madrid and has been told that he has no future at the club.
Despite that, the Spanish club are in no rush to sell the playmaker, with a further three and a half years left to run on his current deal at the club. Florentino Perez is insistent that their price demands must be met if they are to dispense with the 24-year-old and is reportedly reluctant to do business with Manchester United after the David de Gea fiasco last year.
It seems likely that there would only be one such signing, with Mourinho likely to have to choose between Moura, Rodriguez and the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale who have been linked lately.
French newspaper L’Equipe are also claiming that another big money move could be being prepared as Jose Mourinho has identified Brazilian central defender Marquinhos as the long term partner to Eric Bailly at the heart of the Red Devils’ back four. The Brazilian is said to be unsettled in Paris, and having won gold at the Olympics in his home country this summer, is considering his options.
A bid of at least £50 million may be required if Ed Woodward is going to be able to prise the 22-year-old to Manchester and Old Trafford, but there is also speculation which continues to link him with Barcelona, for whom he is believed to be a long term target and they are likely to make a move should Mourinho try to sign the PSG defender.
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