da brdice： Jose Mourinho to Manchester United seems to be gathering pace. Although the Portuguese tactician has his faults, a Louis van Gaal-led loss to Sunderland on Saturday has stretched patience at Old Trafford, and reports even claim the change could take place before the end of the month. Wow.
da bet vitoria： Mourinho has a proven record at the very highest level, but one common theme has followed him… money. At Porto he was in charge of the richest team in Portugal, he joined Chelsea when the financial power of Roman Abramovich came in, Real Madrid are Real Madrid and Inter Milan are far from being poor.
It would seem then that ol’ Jose needs cash, and at United he would surely be handed a relative level of freedom over the transfer chequebook.
With that in mind, here are FIVE players Mourinho knows, respects and could work with at the Theatre of Dreams…
Luka Modric
With creativity at an absolute premium in this United side, Mourinho will surely be eager to inject some inventiveness, and in Modric he could add the perfect antidote to the insipid football Van Gaal has been playing.
The Croatia international is full of energy and flair, and has long been working as a deep-lying playmaker at both Real Madrid and, to an extent, Spurs.
Modric has been at the Bernabeu since 2012, so a new challenge may attract him, and having played under Mourinho, he might be tempted by a reunion.
Wesley Sneijder
Sneijder enjoyed, arguably, the finest season of his career under the guidance of Mourinho. The Dutchman was the key man in ‘The Special One’s’ Inter Milan side the claimed a historic treble in 2009/10, playing a major role as the go-to man in midfield in terms of getting the team forward.
Granted, plenty of water has passed under the bridge since then and Sneijder is now no longer the force he was at the age of 31, but amid the very first hints that Mourinho may move to United reports claimed that the tactician and playmaker could reunite.
The Oranje star, currently plying his trade with Galatasaray, is still a metronomic passer of the ball, one of the best set-piece takers around and boasts a wealth of experience.
Raphael Varane
“I think he is the best young central defender in the world. Already I think he’s the best.” The words of Mourinho himself in relation to Varane back in the early months of 2014. The France international is only now 22, but he has been a ‘name’ for quite some time after making an early move to Real Madrid from Lens.
A modern centre-back, Varane is blessed with pace and athleticism that he matches with good positioning and superb technique, which was recognised by Mourinho during their time together at Real. Luring him from the chance to work with Zinedine Zidane long-term at the Bernabeu may, however, be an issue.
Oscar
A rather unlikely Mourinho favourite, Oscar is a player whose best attributes are creativity, flair and unpredictability. ‘Mou’, meanwhile, traditionally values, hard work, defensive discipline and more hard work. It seemed the pair weren’t ideally suited when the tactician headed back to Stamford Bridge, but in his opening two campaigns, the ex-Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach utilised Oscar effectively, and the pair worked well in tandem.
There have been no links between Man United and Oscar, while it’s hard to see the bitter enemies doing business, yet with the London club set for an overhaul, there remains a chance of Mourinho getting his man…
John Terry
Now this would be a shock! Although Terry appears unlikely to join another English side due to his close Chelsea connections, the veteran defender looks on course to be a free agent in a few months’ time and has enjoyed the best years of his career in Mourinho’s teams. Last season the centre-back wound back the years while working with the Portuguese boss, and even the slimmest chance to do the same again one last time might be enough to lure the ex-England captain to Old Trafford, should he be released.
Although a short-term measure, the one-time West Ham trainee offers the sort of leadership and presence United currently lack at the back and could be Mourinho’s bridge between himself and the bulk of the playing staff.