Mourinho Looking To Toughen Up His Defence
A ready-made CB would cost more money & Ed Woodward is reluctant to recruit for the position again. [Duncan Castles] pic.twitter.com/Wa9XJFg0rE
— José Mourinho-MUFC (@Utd_JM) July 24, 2016
Jose Mourinho is believed to be on the lookout for a brand new center back to add to his current defensive line-up.
Manchester United have already signed a center back, in the form of Eric Bailly. The Ivorian international arrived from Villarreal for a €35 million transfer fee, which could rise to €40 million depending on the 22-year-old’s performances.
The ‘Special One’ will be looking to add to his back four, as he seeks a more experienced and stronger defender than he has in his current selection.
At present, Jose has one of the youngest defensive lines in the entire Barclays Premier League.
Chris Smalling is Manchester United’s oldest defensive player. The 26-year-old played for United while Sir Alex Ferguson was still the manager. Although, Sir Alex did have the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to call upon instead of Smalling, meaning the Englishman’s chances were limited. Chris has a total of 150 league appearances, also making him United’s most experienced center back.
Phil Jones, another player from the Sir Alex era, has got 139 appearances to his name. However, the 24-year-old has suffered from various injuries throughout the years.
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Luke Shaw is the youngest out of the back four, coming in at 21-years-old. But, Shaw has over 80 league appearances, as the youngster played for Southampton before his record-breaking move to Manchester United. However, the 21-year-old hasn’t got much experience in the European competitions.
Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, and Daley Blind are relatively new players in the Premier League – having been brought in less than two seasons ago by former United manager, Louis van Gaal.
Mourinho has always had an old and solid defender in his squad during his reign at previous clubs. At Inter, he had Walter Samuel. In Madrid, he had Pepe and Sergio Ramos. During his time at Chelsea, he had John Terry.
As Mourinho continues his preparations for the new season, he will definitely look to bring in a more experienced and solid defender. There is no doubt on the potential of United’s current players, but it would be a lot safer to get in someone who has done it all before.
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No, Smalling is not MAN U’s oldest player, Mata, Ronney, Swan