The start of the new Premier League season is just weeks away and one club that has been surprisingly slow in the transfer market is Manchester United. Apart from Fellaini agreeing to a contract extension and the early signing of Brazilian star Fred, there has been little to get excited about in regards to signings for the Old Trafford team. Manchester United are currently in the US, as part of their involvement in the International Champions Cup, in which they play their league rivals, Liverpool, this weekend.
United short of first-team players for start of Premier League
In a recent press conference, Mourinho shared his frustrations about the impact that the World Cup has had on his preparations, with lots of his players having been involved with the later stages of the tournament. De Gea, Lukaku, Rashford, Lingard, Fellaini and Jones are all still to join up with the team after they had been granted more time off after their involvement in the World Cup. Mourinho says that he will not have his full squad available for the start of the season.
Mourinho interested in Leicester’s Harry Maguire
It seems that he is still looking to strengthen his squad before then, with England and Leicester defender Harry Maguire said to be at the top of Mourinho’s wish list. The solid centre-back from Yorkshire could provide some much-needed steel to a United defence that has looked less than stable at times. There have been so many different centre-back partnerships tried out too, with Smalling, Jones, Blind, Rojo, Bailly and Lindelof all being given chances to claim a permanent place.
Maguire had a great World Cup campaign for England
Harry Maguire has become a household name in England after his heroics at the World Cup. After a solid season at Leicester City, he played his way into Gareth Southgate’s starting XI ahead of the more experienced players like Cahill and Jones. He looked very comfortable despite the pressure of such a big tournament and has emerged as a transfer target for several top teams.
If Mourinho does make a move for Maguire then he too will be unavailable for the beginning of the Premier League season but he could be the long-term defensive solution that they have been seeking for some time.
