Newly appointed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wants to sign Jose Fonte, Leonardo Bonucci or Ezequiel Garay to bolster the inexperienced Red Devils’ defense this summer, according to FootTheBall sources.
Mourinho has grown concerned with the lack of depth in the defense after three weeks of pre-season friendlies and is all set to splurge huge cash to secure the signatures of a top-flight defender this transfer window, as he looks desperate to bolster the young defensive lineup.
Despite placing a bid in the region of €120m for Paul Pogba, the Man United board have assured Mouinho full financial support to accelerate his hunt for a top-notch defender this summer.
Jose Mourinho has been busy this summer as he looks to refurbish the squad before the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Mourinho has made an immediate impact after signing Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer. Recent reports claim that he is still on the hunt for a top-notch central midfielder and it is believed that the talented French midfielder Paul Pogba is the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle that Mourinho has been desperately looking for.
Amid the dramatic Pogba transfer saga, Mourinho has felt the urgency of chalking out a list of defenders to pair with Chris Smalling 26, who is the most experienced centre-back in the present defensive lineup.
Rumours suggest that Ezequiel Garay, Jose Fonte and Leonardo Bonucci top Mourinho’s defensive wishlist, with the former Chelsea manager ready to match the whooping £60m asking price for Juventus ace centre-back Leonardo Bonucci.
Mourinho is well aware of Bonucci’s ball-playing and tackling abilities as critics believe that Bonucci’s man-marking abilities added to his strong physical presence make him a perfect fit for the English side.
However, a £60million asking price would need a lot of negotiations, which the new Man Utd boss would look to avoid as the expected capture of Paul Pogba from the Serie A giants still hangs under the veil of uncertainty.
Jose Mourinho could shift his attention towards Southampton‘s ace defender Jose Fonte to solve the defensive loopholes. Despite being 32, Fonte was a part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning squad and has a lot to offer with a four-year experience in the Premier League to his name.
Fonte’s contract at Southampton expires in 2018 and it is believed that the south coast club would be willing to sell their player in order to prevent him from leaving the club on a free transfer.
The other viable option in front of Mourinho is the 29-year-old Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay, who currently plays for Zenit St Petersburg.
Critics believe that Ezequiel Garay would be willing to make a switch to Old Trafford if Mourinho places a bid.