Manchester United are not a January transfer market kind of team, and Jose Mourinho is not usually a January transfer window shopping kind of manager. Mourinho has made numerous comments indicating that he believes the summer window, not the winter one, is the right time to buy.
United did not buy a single player in the 2016 or 2017 winter transfer windows, and the only player they picked up in the 2015 January market was back-up goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Still, if the right player comes along, and at a steal of a price, you have to pull the trigger on executing the transfer buy.
Obviously, Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, who reportedly could be available at £25 million, would be that player and that bargain. While Mourinho did not name the Chilean forward, with whom his club has been strongly linked lately, he did say that Old Trafford should capitalize on any “fantastic opportunity” that could one arise now.
“Our squad was built not to have new players in January, we build a squad with this idea, with this philosophy that I share with Mr Woodward and the owners, normally the investment is to be made in the summer,” Mourinho said.
“But sometimes can happen or can appear on the table, a fantastic opportunity and then you fight for that fantastic opportunity.”
“If it happens, happens, if it doesn’t happen then it doesn’t happen but I like my squad, I like my players, the more time I spend with them this week was also good to be sure of that.”
“We like our squad, we believe in our squad, it is just about improving our squad in a balanced way, so if we do something now, it has to be something we believe is the right thing to do for the team, and is something that will stop us to do in the summer,” he continued.
“If we do something now we don’t need to do in the summer again.”
The latest reports indicate that Manchester City is cooling a bit in their interest for Sanchez, as they don’t want to pay £20 million for a player that would be available on a free in the summer. Additionally, Gabriel Jesus could return from injury much earlier than expected, and thus Alexis would be not be as needed.
The fantastic opportunity for United to acquire Sanchez could be looming.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube.