The 2017-2018 season has been a much better performance for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United so far.
The summer acquisition of Romelu Lukaku and the emergence of young stars Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, and Marcus Rashford have helped United compensate for the loss of former team skipper Wayne Rooney back to Everton and the ongoing injury struggles of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Paul Pogba is the new captain and things appear to be going well for the Red Devils as they sit second in the English top-flight table with 47 points in 22 games.
However, what came with last summer’s changes are even higher expectations for Mourinho and his men, which is quite normal for a high-profile club such as Manchester United. Even more, diluting their new-found success was the fact that cross-city rivals Manchester City and long-time Mourinho adversary Pep Guardiola are currently leading the league and are 15 points ahead.
With that, rumors are swirling that Mourinho is keen on making key moves in the winter window to somehow appease the Manchester United faithful. Below are some of the latest transfer rumors from Old Trafford.
Real Madrid Willing To Sell Toni Kroos
The Red Devils were handed a major boost regarding their desire to acquire Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos as the Manchester Evening News reported that Los Blancos is now “willing” to part ways with the German international.
United had been targeting Kroos since 2014, with the former Bayern Munich star almost completing a Premier League move. However, Louis van Gaal, who was United manager at that time, called off the deal that would have landed him his former Bavarian player.
With Mourinho now in charge and Real’s readiness to let him go, Kroos’ long-awaited transfer to United could finally happen in this January window, according to the report.
United Eyes Barcelona’s Andre Gomes As Midfield Reinforcement
Another midfielder is reportedly in Mourinho’s crosshairs, with Caught Offside indicating a potential United bid for Barca’s 24-year-old star Andre Gomes.
Gomes, Mourinho’s countryman, has yet to score a goal and has only appeared eight times for Ernesto Valverde this season. There are rumors that the Portuguese international could be getting unhappy at the Camp Nou as a result, and that a transfer request might soon be given to the Blaugrana’s hierarchy.
The report said that Gomes would cost United a transfer fee of around $42 million and that the club “would certainly not be reluctant” to sell him to the highest bidder.
More Rumors
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that Mourinho is also targeting Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam in an effort to shore up his team’s defense. The report said that United is prepared to offer a staggering $72 million bid, which is said to be highly attractive for the Serie A club.
The Partenopei is planning to sign Benfica’s Alejandro Grimaldo in the midseason, and profits from Ghoulam’s sale would reportedly fund Grimaldo’s purchase.
United is at risk of losing resident left-back Luke Shaw at season’s end. Ghoulam is said to be his potential replacement when that time comes.
