Who’s the best choice for Manchester United’s fourth signing under Mourinho?

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Following the recent arrival of former Borussia Dortmund attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho’s third signing, the ‘Special One’ will be looking for a fourth specialist to add to his new squad.

Manchester United have unsurprisingly been linked to a number of world class players since the confirmation of their new manager, with rumours of various lucrative deals reported in many of the tabloid newspapers.

Red Devils supporters had voiced their desire at the end of the 2015/16 season for a rebuild in the spine of the United squad, whilst retaining the club’s historically youthful squad seen in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Their new Portuguese man was initially questioned over his potentially overlooking transfer policy , however it did not take him long to silence his doubters.

The combined acquisitions of promising young centre-half Eric Bailly, clinical Armenian talent Henrikh Mkhitaryan and proven goal-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic reassured United supporters with experience whilst exciting them with prosperous potential.

With the central defensive, attacking midfield and forward roles likely to be taken by these new arrivals, the Old Trafford faithful will be looking for the board to bolster their number six position if Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick continue with poor runs of form and injury.

Compiled are two probable candidates who would arguably relish their new roles at Manchester United and strengthen a squad which has failed to challenge for the Premier League title since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Let us know which you think would be the better signing and why, leaving your thoughts in the comment section below.

Paul Pogba

After only receiving £800,000 for the services of the illustrious young Frenchman under Sir Alex in his last season as Manchester United manager, the Reds are already keen to lure Pogba into a return to Old Trafford.

Their central midfield target is said to prefer a move to La Liga, with Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane’s management desired. However, the Los Blancos are unlikely to be able to afford Pogba’s fee and wages after smashing transfer records for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. This is added to the fact that the Juve midfielder still retains plenty of friendships in Manchester.

Although it seems slightly embarrassing for United to spend a reported transfer record fee of €100 million, the 23-year-old’s versatility and underlying arrogance would see him fit the mould of becoming a United legend , stepping into the shoes of past heroes Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.

Scoring ten goals and assisting twelve in all competitions for Juventus during the 15/16 campaign, Paul Pogba could be deployed in either a holding midfield position alongside his French counterpart Morgan Schneiderlin, or situated in a more advanced role behind the deadly Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

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Blaise Matuidi

With rumours suggesting that PSG could be making a shock transfer plunge for German international Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jose Mourinho may look to bring in another experienced defensive midfielder to shield United’s somewhat
inexperienced back-four.

29-year-old French powerhouse Blaise Matuidi could therefore be considered in a swap deal for United’s current holding midfielder, and would certainly offer a similar character to Claude Makelele – a player who thrived under the Special One during his first tenure as Chelsea manager.

Matuidi would certainly fill in to the Manchester United midfield as an Mourinho-type player in intercepting ball possession, and his physicality would allow him to challenge effectively in the Premier League.

The current Paris St Germain number 14 also has a lengthy range of passing in his locker too, showcased in a number of assists to Antoine Griezmann during France’s continued success in the European Championships.

The former Saint-Etienne man has retained a healthy goal-scoring and chance creating record this term, with eight goals and seven assists, but it is his 91.5% passing accuracy in ball possession that will tempt Jose Mourinho into a potential move.

Whether it is the youthful prowess of Paul Pogba or the experience of Blaise Matuidi, both Frenchmen would offer the Special One a solid central midfield option.

Reds fans will hope that with the addition of either player, their midfield partnership could replicate that of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic in Chelsea’s title-winning season.

A combination of defensive and attacking physicality and passing ability, the strengthened pairing would create a balanced route through the centre of the park at Old Trafford.

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