Jose Mourinho identifies what he wants to bolster Man Utd squad in January window

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It’s seemingly going to take something special from Man Utd to pip Man City to the Premier League title this season, but that won’t stop Jose Mourinho from making it happen.

The Portuguese tactician’s side trail their city rivals by eight points after 14 games, with Pep Guardiola’s men winning all-but one of their matches so far this season.

In turn, it promises to be a hugely difficult task for United to keep up the pace, although the meeting between the two sides on December 10 at Old Trafford could be absolutely key.

According to The Sun, Mourinho has identified what he wants in the January transfer window, telling his scouts that he wants a ‘magician’ to address what he perceives as a lack of creativity in his current group.

Despite having so many attacking options, and as the Sun point out having spent £300m in 18 months, Mourinho may have a point.

While the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard all predominantly offer the same thing, along with the physical presence and goalscoring of Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he doesn’t have that stand-out creative playmaker.

Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan haven’t been able to fill that role, with the latter undoubtedly considered the solution when he was signed from Borussia Dortmund last year with 23 goals and 32 assists to his name in 52 appearances in his last season in Germany.

However, he hasn’t been able to find the same high level at Old Trafford, and that could now force Mourinho to look elsewhere based in this report in his bid to add a decisive presence in the creative phase of his team’s play.

Given that they boast the best defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded just eight goals in 14 games, they don’t seem to have too many problems at that end of the pitch.

In turn, it gives further strength to the argument that something is possibly missing in attack, and it remains to be seen whether or not it’s addressed in the New Year.

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