Mourinho’s men at Manchester are having a season, which began brightly but is fading away into obscurity. A busy summer that saw the club spend in excess of £150m to compete against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea has resulted in Manchester United currently sitting pretty in the second position in the league. Their recent wins against Liverpool and Chelsea have distanced themselves from the lot chasing the Champions League but their shock defeat to Sevilla will see the pressure mount on the Red Devils boss Mourinho. He will hope that the result is a one-off and his men are expected to jump right back into winning ways and continue their FA Cup charge.
Earlier in the season, they had played some scintillating, attacking football this season, something the Old Trafford faithful have been craving for since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. It is now being reported that Mourinho is looking to add further depth and strength to his squad and Brazilian central defensive midfielder Fred has become a target for Manchester United.
Last summer saw the rumour mill go round and round churning out claims that Mourinho was desperate for a midfield signing and it saw the arrival of Nemanja Matic from Chelsea. Matic’s entrance to the club eased the Portuguese’s worry and Fred now seems to be the target man for next season.
Currently, the Red Devils have Matic, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and their French ace Paul Pogba in midfield. It will be difficult for Mourinho to adjust another midfielder into the side. Although Carrick is on his last legs, United have makeshift cover at the middle of the park in the form of Daley Blind and Phil Jones as well.
Fred, however, has been in excellent form for the Ukranian giants this season and his stocks have risen considerably over the last one year. After signing a long-term contract last year with Shakhtar, Fred has been shown interest by a number of clubs. He notably performed well against Manchester City as well and has helped Shakhtar stay in the second spot in a tough Champions League group this season.
He has been shown interest from Spanish clubs as well but the Brazilian is unlikely to turn down a chance to join Mourinho at Old Trafford should Manchester United come calling. He will fit into the team perfectly as an exciting player next to Matic and the duo together can provide the perfect base for Pogba up front to run free. While Matic likes to sit back and hold the game, Fred is all about running and making things happen on the pitch, something that is bound to excite the crowd at Old Trafford.
