Mourinho gives sad response when asked if he’ll make more signings this summer

Football
By Mirror | Jul 19, 2018
Mourinho has taken a young squad to the US [Photo: Courtesy]

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he has 'no idea' if he will make any more signings this summer.

Speaking in the United States on the club's pre-season tour, the Red Devils chief insisted he was uncertain if he would be adding to the signings of Lee Grant, Diogo Dalot and Fred, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The transfer window closes on August 9 this year, one day before the Premier League kicks off at Old Trafford, when United face Leicester City.

Questioned as to whether United would have any more faces through the door by then, Mourinho responded: "I've no idea.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not going to say somebody is coming or nobody is coming.

"We did Lee Grant because we have a fantastic young goalkeeper who needs to play football. Joel is a Manchester United goalkeeper but two years without football he has to play. And to protect that position we got Lee, experienced in the Championship, with Stoke City in the Premier League, so he is ready to fulfil that position.

"Joel is here with us, [it's] is good for him to play but then he will go on loan.

Mourinho is at UCLA with his squad [Photo: Courtesy]

"Fred we did quite a long time ago, we started the process, we lost Michael Carrick and I think Fred is the kind of player we need to complement the qualities of our midfield players.

"Dalot is injured, a small injury, a small surgery, we didn't want to lose him because of that and he's recovering really well and we think he can start training back in England, not ready for start of the season."

Brazilian midfielder Fred will link up with United in the US next week along with David de Gea and Nemanja Matic. United flew to the States without 12 players due to the World Cup and Mourinho was in a pessimistic mood.

"The pre-season is very bad," he added. "The positive thing of the pre-season is only for the young boys that have fantastic opportunity to train with us, to train what is to be a Manchester United first-team player, the chance to know all the details related to the life of a Manchester United first-team player, and to have the chance to play against fantastic players. Liverpool, Milan, Real Madrid, to know other cultures, to play against an MLS team, to play against a Mexican team.

"The only positive thing is for them and for a coaching staff with three new persons, [Stefano] Rapetti, Michael [Carrick] and Kieran [McKenna] is also very good for them not to start immediately with the whole group together, is good for them to adapt to me, to adapt to my needs and start working in a new reality for them.

"Next week will come De Gea, Matic and Fred, which is good especially for Fred, a new player to be with us. But everything is really bad and then we go to the UK and have to play Premier League, the broadcasters were not nice to us with the Friday match [against Leicester] which complicates more things.

Jose Mourinho of Manchester United speaks to first team coach Stefano Rapetti [Photo: Courtesy]

"So I'm worried, I'm not worried about playing Liverpool here or Real Madrid or Milan. I'm not worried if we lose badly, I'm worried because I'm not training and then I go to the Premier League without lots of players but it is what it is and we have to try and make the best out of it with the players we have here.

"Maybe is good for Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Andreas Pereira back from loan so we have to take the positives."

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