Manchester United will be looking to bolster their squad for the upcoming season and according to latest reports, Jose Mourinho has asked the United board to wrap up the deal for AC Milan’s defender Leonardo Bonucci. The Italian is currently regarded as one of the best defenders in the world and he joined AC Milan last season after spending 7 years with Juventus.
United went trophyless last season and their performances have been panned by fans and pundits alike. The pressure will be on the ‘Special One’ to deliver the goods in the upcoming season and he will know that it won’t be easy for his current crop of players to deliver any major titles.
The Red Devils have shifted their focus away from Tottenham Hotspur‘s Toby Alderweireld as the deal for the Belgian will only go through once the World Cup is over and until then, United wants to add the veteran Italian to their squad. Bonucci could be signed for cheap as UEFA has imposed sanctions on the Italian giants for not complying with Financial Fair Play Rules.
Manchester United did well defensively last season as they had the second best defensive record in the league. However, it was largely down to the fact that they defended in numbers and the fact that they also have a fantastic goalkeeper in David De Gea who made some excellent last-gasp saves.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are often inconsistent and they are quite error prone. Victor Lindelof was signed with a lot of gung-ho but he has failed to establish himself in the English top flight and Marcos Rojo’s time at Old Trafford has been plagued by injuries.
So it is clear that having a top quality centre-back is an absolute necessity for Mourinho and they have been linked with quite a few centre-backs until now. Bonucci had made 51 appearances in all competitions last season and the defender was a solid rock for his side at the back. The move is more likely to go through given the fact that AC Milan has been banned by UEFA to take part in European competitions for two years and maybe now it is the right time for United to make a move for the 31-year-old’s signature.
Read More: Manchester United Unwilling To Let 22 Y/O Tottenham Hotspur Target Go Cheap: Should Spurs Go All In?
We don’t often see United going for a player who is already in his thirties but such is the situation nowadays that the fans and the United board want instant success. As a result, the manager has to bring in SOME proven and established names instead of promoting someone from the academy into their first team. Bonucci will surely go on to bring stability to Mourinho’s squad, however, there are quite a few other European giants as well who are lurking to sign the veteran Italian warhorse.
