Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho has wasted little time in strengthening his squad this summer, but reports claim that one rumoured target will not be joining.
As per the club’s official site, they have already reached an agreement to sign Brazilian midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk, while BBC Sport add that they’ve splashed out £19m on Diogo Dalot and we’re still only in mid-June.
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Having finished 19 points adrift of champions Man City last season in the Premier League, coupled with their failures in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, reinforcements are arguably needed at Old Trafford to ensure that they put up a better challenge next year.
However, as per The Mirror, Mourinho will not be pushing for Tottenham left-back Danny Rose to join the club, with the England international valued at £50m.
It’s suggested that the signing of Dalot has had an impact on the situation, although it’s difficult to see how given the youngster is a natural right-back and so will provide Antonio Valencia with competition and cover.
That leaves the left-back slot still arguably unsolved, as Luke Shaw failed to establish himself in the side last season, leaving stalwart Ashley Young to fill in in an unnatural position to him.
While he did a commendable job, signing a natural left-back would surely have been high on the priority list for Mourinho, but this report would suggest that Rose will not be the solution.
Dalot has shown versatility previously and can also play on the left side, and so perhaps this reported decision would suggest that that is where Mourinho intends on deploying him.
It seems odd in itself that United are targeting defensive reinforcements, given that they boasted the second best defensive record in the Premier League last season, conceding just 28 goals in 38 games.