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Old Trafford is not in a happy mood at the moment. The 2018/19 season hasn’t been a good one for the Red Devils so far. Manchester United are currently eight in the Premier League standings with just 13 points from eight games.
Ever since Jose Mourinho took charge at Old Trafford, the club has spent a lot of money to sign world-class players like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Fred, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexis Sanchez, and a few other players.
Even with all the spending, Mourinho’s best finish in the Premier League was only second, which he achieved last season. Despite an abundance of talented players, United failed to mount any sort of title challenge in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League for the past two seasons.
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With the money he spent, Mourinho could have assembled an altogether different squad if things have gone according to his plan.
On that note, let’s take a look at the alternate Manchester United XI Mourinho could have built with the money he spent.
GK: David de Gea
David de Gea is one player in the Manchester United squad who cannot be replaced at the moment. The Spaniard was sensational for the Red Devils and arguably the best shot-stopper in world football right now.
Manchester United’s No.1 since 2011/12, the 27-year-old is known for his quick reflexes, positional sense, and outstanding shot-stopping ability. He is always calm under pressure and extremely consistent with great composure.
He is the winner of Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year on four occasions in the past five seasons. He also won the Premier League Golden Glove in 2017/18. De Gea has also featured in the PFA Team of the Year for five seasons since 2012/13.
CB: Victor Lindelof
The Swedish international was the second centre-back signed by Mourinho at Old Trafford, after his first ever United signing, Eric Bailly. Though he wasn’t one of Mourinho’s trusted defenders, Victor Lindelof has done reasonably well whenever he was given an opportunity. He was never given a consistent run in the team and spent most of his time on the sidelines.
CB: Toby Alderweireld
Jose Mourinho chased him like anything last season but was not able to get the deal done. United’s unwillingness to meet Tottenham’s price collapsed the deal. Toby Alderweireld is one of the best centre-backs in Premier League football at the moment.
He was absolutely consistent for Tottenham Hotspur and was solid at the back. He could have been a great addition to the shaky United defence.
LB: Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw has finally seemed to have won the trust of Jose Mourinho. Though it is only because of Antonio Valencia’s absence, he is slowly getting back to his best. Despite all his experience, he is only 23 and has all the potential to become one of the best left-backs in the world.
After just 17 Premier League starts in his previous two seasons combined, Shaw has already made seven Premier League starts for United in 2018/19. This could be the United breakthrough he has been waiting for.
RB: Thomas Meunier
The 27-year-old is one of the underrated fullbacks in world football right now. He spent most of his time on the bench as Emery preferred to play Dani Alves at right-back. He was brilliant for Belgium in the World Cup with a goal and two assists.
In 8 starts for PSG this season, Meunier has scored three goals and assisted three more. Though United showed no real interest in his signature, he could have been a great long-term replacement for Antonio Valencia.
Midfielders
Paul Pogba
It was a clear intent from Manchester United when they paid a then world record fee for a player they sold four years ago. Though he was sublime on occasions, he struggled for consistency at times.
He was also unfairly criticized for United’s poor performances. The 25-year-old has scored 11 goals and assisted 15 more in his two Premier League seasons at the club. He was exceptional for France in the 2018 World Cup and played a huge role in their title win.
N’Golo Kante
The Frenchman is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world right now. He played a stellar role in Leicester City’s title win and repeated the same for Chelsea a year later. He was also phenomenal for France in the 2018 World Cup win.
Kante himself revealed that Jose Mourinho tried to sign him during the summer of 2016 before his move to Chelsea. Despite discussions with Mourinho, Kante finally moved to Stamford Bridge. United then paid a world record fee to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus.
Jorginho
Linked with Manchester United last summer, Jorginho made his move to Chelsea when Maurizio Sarri took charge at the club. Regarded as one of the best passers in the game, Jorginho was exceptional for Napoli last season.
Ever since his move to Stamford Bridge, Jorginho is at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield and playing an important role under Sarri. With 20 points, Chelsea are currently tied for the top spot in the Premier League with Liverpool and Manchester City.
Forwards
Antony Martial
Antony Martial is one of Louis Van Gaal’s successful United signing. Martial was brilliant for the Red Devils in his debut season and shattered various records. However, his opportunities were restricted when Jose Mourinho took charge at Old Trafford.
He mostly impressed whenever he was given a chance and even with just 18 Premier League starts last season, Martial scored nine goals and created five more. He is only 22 and could do wonders at Old Trafford with time on the pitch.
Ivan Perisic
Mourinho’s failure to sign Perisic during the summer of 2017 looked even worse when the Inter Milan winger was one of Croatia’s hero in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. With 11 goals and 9 assists, Ivan Perisic was exceptional for Inter Milan in Serie A last season.
With three goals and an assist, he played a stellar role in Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup finals. Despite his attempts, Mourinho missed a world-class winger in Ivan Perisic.
Antoine Griezmann
Another World Cup winner features on the XI. Antoine Griezmann was phenomenal for Atletico Madrid with 79 goals and 23 assists in his last four La Liga seasons. A consistent goal scorer, Antoine Griezmann was sensational for France in the 2018 World Cup.
He finished third in the 2016 Ballon d’Or and also in the Best FIFA Men’s Player. The Red Devils were close to signing him during the summer of 2017 but the deal failed to materialize because of Atletico’s transfer ban.
