Manchester United are looking to replicate their spending spree from last summer to bolster their attack. This past summer, they added the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrik Mkhitaryan. And according to reports, the Red Devils have made AS Monaco player Bernardo Silva their next big target with Jose Mourinho willing to pay up to £70million for the midfielder.
Mourinho is a big admirer of the Portuguese playmaker and sees him as a perfect fit in his team. Playmaker’s position in Manchester United’s side has been a hugely experimental one this season. While deploying Juan Mata in the number 10 position initially worked for Mourinho, it was soon had its limitations. Pogba was also used in the playmaker’s position in the initial stages of the Europa League, but he failed to make any real impact.
Mourinho now prefers a three-man midfield of Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera with two wingers flanking behind the centre-forward Zlatan. While Mkhitaryan has owned the right wing with his impressive displays, it is the left flank, which is a matter of concern.
After few positive displays in the opening games for United, both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are going through a slump at the moment. Although Martial has still netted a couple of times lately, he hasn’t been that impactful and has also been linked with a move away from Old Trafford. And we believe Mourinho is targeting Silva to fill that void.
In his 18 appearances for the Ligue 1 side so far, Silva has scored two goals, created 22 chances and four assists. He has completed 433 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 80%, of which 71% have been forward passes.
A Benfica youth product, Silva has seen a tremendous rise to the first team and he spent a short stint with Monaco before making his move final in 2015. The playmaker has the reputation of a fantastic passer, who can unlock the toughest of defences with his incisive passes. He has attracted a lot of clubs with his ice-cold nerves in front of the goal and sublime finishing.
Silva’s agent is Jorge Mendes, who also represents Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo and is considered one of the brightest rising stars in European football.
Manchester United’s winning run faced a stumbling block when they were held to a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. And except for Tottenham, United haven’t really proved their mettle against any major opponents in the league yet. Hence, bringing a fresh face with a new pair of tricks might just do the job for Mourinho.
