, did you just overlook the list I said from the transfers at Manchester. He wanted Bailly and Lindelof. Also not to state that players like Matic and Lukaku fit Mourinho's tactics like a glove. That you even would dare to say that Mourinho had no say in transfers and only had to work with trash left overs by Van Gaal and Moyes, or players that fit Woodwards agenda is ridiculous.
Bailly to Man Utd was at play long before Mourinho signed his deal. They concluded it a bit after he arrived and surely he must have wanted someone there and Bailly was good idea obviously given who they had available. He didn't say to anyone "get me Bailly" as soon as he signed the Man United contract though.
Regarding Lindelof you are correct as far as I remember, it was his request or at least amongst the players he wanted.
Woodward considered Mou's requests only if they matched the Manchester United transfer profile.
That was:
- Young
- International
- Popular
Popularity was split into these categories: 1) Premier League exposure, 2) Champions League experience and/or 3) International success.
They ridiculed his request to go for Perisic in 2017. They made a 20m bid to us. We wanted 45 or 50 or something.
Next summer, suddenly in the 2018 window they came with a 45m bid and we wanted 60-70m. Why? Suddenly Perisic ticked one of the parameters that Woodward values. Popularity. From being a "nobody", he became the guy who got England out of the World Cup final and also scored in the main event. He agreed that he had to get him. But his age was a problem which is why he didn't go for over 50m.
Mourinho requested Alderweireld, Tottenham wanted 90m, they made a 50m bid. Levy was like no way Jose... They then wanted to go for Maguire, Leicester wanted 70m, Man Utd made yet another 50m bid. Leicester refused that one and when Mourinho was gone, they were like Hi Leicester, here's 70m, give us Maguire.
Mourinho had also requested Skriniar by the way. We told Man Utd to fuck off. (We actually named our price which was in the high 8 digits, but they backed off of course and the player was insistent that he wanted to stay at Inter).
It's not as if he didn't tell the management that he wanted player X or Y and if not, someone who can do A, B and C. But they didn't give a shit. Man United is a corporation that doesn't like to spend money on the will of their employee. The management decides who they are going for. It's pretty clear how they operate and Mourinho was never going to be accepted there. The only reason they went for Zlatan was the popularity and the fact that Mourinho pretty much had that as an unwritten clause to join them in the first place.
I'm not saying that they filled up the roster with players he didn't rate or like. I'm saying his say was fairly limited in the transfer activity. Even at Real Madrid he had more of a say because Florentino Perez despite his arrogance and selfrighteousness, understands how football works. Woodward and Glazer do not. It's just business to them.
Levy on the other hand understands football but doesn't have the wallet nor the interest to spend much money. But at least he'll give Mourinho the chance to dictate transfer policy according to his needs and ideas.
P.S: He did not request Alexis Sanchez, it was a panic move from their management since Man City getting him would have meant no chance for them to ever lose the league in the next 4-5 years. Mourinho obviously loved the fact that he'd get Sanchez, but he wasn't really interested in living and playing football in fucking Manchester of all places. He did it exclusively for the money. You can see him at Inter how much better he feels on the pitch.
10 years of FIFOh and they went to buy Harry Maguire after they sacked him for more than Tottenham wanted for Alderweireld that Mourinho had requested
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Nostradamus
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