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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Daniel Blackham

5 Roma and Man Utd players that caught Jose Mourinho's eye during Europa League showdown

Jose Mourinho will have kept a keen eye on Thursday night's battle between his past employers Manchester United and future club Roma.

United progressed to the Europa League final this week after a 8-5 win over the Italian side.

The Red Devils coasted to a 6-2 win in the first leg and had to avoid a catastrophe in order to progress to the final.

That they did, with Edinson Cavani's double enough for United to progress.

The defeat now ends Paulo Fonseca's tenure at the Stadio Olympico, with Mourinho to take over at the end of the season.

Jose Mourinho could raid former club Manchester United when he takes over at AS Roma (Getty Images)

The Portuguese boss will no doubt have been watching the game on Thursday, and will have identified a few players to watch for this summer.

As well as the Roma players, there were several United stars who may have impressed Mourinho, with the boss expected to stamp his authority at the club when he takes charge in the summer.

Mirror Football has identified five stars Mourinho will have his eye on...

1. David de Gea

David de Gea could be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer (Giuseppe Fama/BPI/REX/Shutterstock)

United are expected to try and offload David de Gea this summer, with Dean Henderson cementing his place as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first choice.

Mourinho worked with the Spaniard before at Old Trafford and De Gea played some of his best football during that period.

Reports have suggested Roma will try and take De Gea on loan next season and pay some of his £350,000-per-week wages.

2. Nemanja Matic

Jose Mourinho has signed Nemanja Matic twice in his career (GETTY)

Another player Mourinho has a good history with is Nemanja Matic, and the defensive midfielder could well be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer.

Mourinho has signed Matic twice in the past, and could make it a hat-trick this summer, considering his lack of a future at United.

The midfielder seems to react well to Mourinho's tactical approach, and could be allowed to leave this summer despite having three years to run on his contract.

3. Edin Dzeko

Edin Dzeko scored in both legs as Roma crashed out of the Europa League (Getty Images)

Mourinho's best bits at Tottenham came thanks to Harry Kane leading the line, and the new Roma boss will want a similar talisman up top.

Edin Dzeko may not have the pace required to play on the counter-attack, but he could end up being perfect for Mourinho's style of play.

The forward, 35, is out of contract in a year, but could be a key part of Mourinho's return to Italy.

4. Alex Telles

Alex Telles could be on his way out of Old Trafford after just one year (Giuseppe Fama/BPI/REX/Shutterstock)

Mourinho is set to get busy in the summer transfer window, and could opt to raid Old Trafford for Alex Telles, who has been linked with an exit.

The left-back has barely played since joining from Porto last season, due to Luke Shaw's incredible campaign.

Roma's starting left-back on Thursday was Bruno Peres, who has played 42 times this season. However, he's out of contract in the summer and could require replacing.

5. Chris Smalling

Mourinho is known for his defence-first approach to the game, and will likely focus on improving his back line this summer.

And Chris Smalling could be a key part of his plans, despite them not seeing eye to eye during their shared time at Old Trafford.

The defender's career has been given new life since his move to Italy, and there's no sign of him slowing down.

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