Javier Hernandez, affectionately known as Chicharito, left Old Trafford for Bayer Leverkusen in a £7.3 million transaction when Louis Van Gaal was Manchester United manager in 2015. Current United Manager Jose Mourinho has previously claimed that he would never have sold the Mexican striker had he been in charge at that time.
This week Hernandez returned to the Premier League, having completed a £16 million move to West Ham United. Ahead of tonight’s preseason friendly against Barcelona in Washington D.C. the topic of Chicharito came up in Mourinho’s news conference.
While Mourinho extolled the virtues of the Mexico international, he valued other options above the idea of bringing Chicharito back to Old Trafford. The Portugese says he has enough to work with at center forward in Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford. Mourinho also coveted Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata this summer transfer window, but opted for Lukaku instead. Morata then went on to sign with Chelsea instead.
“He left the club a few years ago, I’m not sure (if) it was his decision or the manager’s but he’s a good player, he’s a player that will always score goals,” Mourinho said.
“I would always welcome (him) in my squad because he doesn’t need many minutes on the pitch to score but we move in another direction in a younger player in Lukaku and we have Rashford who can be a striker so we didn’t feel that need.”
“But no doubt from West Ham to get a player of his experience and quality is very good.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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