5 former Manchester United players Jose Mourinho would love to have in his squad

#3 Gerard Pique

Pique is considered to be one of the best defenders in the world

United’s defence has been marred by injuries since the beginning of this season. Mourinho has struggled to find a pair of centre-backs to settle into the role. His team lacks a proper leader in the backline.

Chris Smalling was impressive last season but has been a bit off-colour so far this season. Eric Bailly showed early promise before being sidelined through injury and Blind, Rojo or Jones are not the central defenders a title-chasing team would want in their lineup.

Now, just imagine that Gerard Pique never left for Barcelona and was still playing for Manchester United. The 29-year-old is regarded as one of the best central defenders currently. The 2010 World Cup winner would have been the ideal partner for Bailly or Smalling in the heart of defence and David De Gea would have been kept far less busy.

Mourinho is no stranger to the Spaniard’s abilities having faced him during his tenure at Real Madrid. Pique was at United for four seasons before leaving due to lack of first team opportunities. A defender of his calibre would be a prized member of any of the top European teams.