José Mourinho has struck a conciliatory tone by stating he is now confident of making one new signing for Manchester United before the window closes on 9 August.
Following Saturday’s 4-1 defeat by Liverpool in the International Champions Cup in Michigan, Mourinho described the upcoming season as “very bad” due to uncertainty regarding whether he would add at least one of the centre-back and wide forward wanted. This was viewed as a message to the board but the executive remained determined to back the manager despite his outburst.
On Tuesday Mourinho appeared more optimistic as United prepared to face Real Madrid in Miami.
“I am confident I will get one [new player], but I think two I am not going to get - which is not a drama,” he told beIN Sports.
“In every pre-season it happens the same, with every club, which is that the manager wants more. It’s our nature, you always want more for your team, but then club decisions are different and normally you don’t get what you want, which happened during all my career. So, if I get one player until the end of the market, that’s fine.”
Harry Maguire, the Leicester City central defender, and Internazionale’s Ivan Perisic are two players on the manager’s wishlist ahead of next week’s transfer deadline.
United start their Premier League campaign with Leicester City’s visit to Old Trafford next Friday. Asked if he knew his XI for the game, Mourinho said: “More or less, I know. It’s not going to be very different. We basically have the same players.”
Mourinho has so far acquired Brazil midfielder Fred for £55m, 19-year-old full-back Diogo Dalot (£19m), and Lee Grant (£1.5m).
“The players we have bought – one is a goalkeeper cover, one is a 19-year-old kid, so in fact we have one new player, which is Fred,” he said. “So, of course, our team is not going to be very different.”
