da jogodeouro： Manchester United’s summer of spending has been pretty dramatic already, to say the least. The arrival of Jose Mourinho was always going to see a change in transfer policy and this has seen Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all join the club before we have even reached August.
da spicy bet： The transfer carnage is sure set to continue well into the season, as well. Investment is key for Mourinho at any club he moves to, as he looks to build a squad that can play in the regimented, high-intensity fashion that he demands. His investments have not always been a success, mind.
This summer is a big one for both Mourinho and Manchester United, as the two of them look to rebuild their reputations.
Could this be the time for Mourinho to return to one of his former clubs, Real Madrid, in his attempt to lure some more big names to Old Trafford?
Raphael Varane
Having initially broken through to the Real Madrid XI under Jose Mourinho, Varane has yet to really nail down a place ahead of either Sergio Ramos or Pepe.
The Frenchman would clearly cost an arm and three legs, but he is of a class several levels above any of the current Manchester United central defensive options. Of course, it is likely Varane would also welcome the opportunity to work with Jose Mourinho again.
There are no questions over Varane’s ability to cope with the Premier League’s physicality either and would be the absolutely ideal addition to Manchester United’s uncertain defence.
James Rodriguez
James was the star of the 2014 World Cup and this resulted in his big money move to Real Madrid that same summer.
Since then his form and fortune has fluctuated, as he spent much of last season as a squad rotation player. The desire to fit Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo in the XI saw Zinedine Zidane drop James in the bigger games for Casemiro to provide more cover from the midfield.
If he were to move to Manchester United, he would fill in the number ten role, with Mkhitaryan from the right, Martial from the left and Ibrahimovic up front. Now that would be one of the most fearful attacks in world football.
Toni Kroos
Manchester United were thought to be competing for Toni Kroos a few years ago whilst he was at Bayern and there is a chance to elegant German deep-lying playmaker will be on their radar again this summer.
With Carrick and Schweinsteiger unlikely to start too many games, Mourinho will be looking for a player to pass through the lines from deep.
Luka Modric continues to reign supreme in the Real Madrid midfield and Zidane may consider moving Kroos on for the sake of midfield balance if it allows him to play one of Isco or James in an advanced role.