- Man Utd could be busy in the January transfer window to strengthen squad
- Mourinho reportedly wants to bolster three specific areas of the group
- Remains to be seen whether or not he gets his wish before the summer
- READ MORE: Man Utd spend big on youth starlet, £25k-a-week contract show of faith
Given that they’ve fallen 15 points adrift of Man City in the Premier League title race, there are arguably deficiencies in this Man Utd squad that need addressing.
Elimination from the League Cup at the hands of Bristol City last month would have added to that frustration, although on the bright side there have been positives and United are safely through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Nevertheless, as with any squad around Europe, their’s could always be improved. Jose Mourinho will likely argue that as he desperately wants to add to his impressive trophy haul from last season, and The Daily Mail report that there are three specific areas of his Man Utd squad that he wants to address in January.
Those are the two full-back positions as well as bringing in an attacking midfielder, and it’s difficult to argue with that reported assessment from the Portuguese tactician.
It seems the prominent reason for looking in these areas is a disappointment over current stars not doing enough to impress and convince the Man Utd boss that he doesn’t need to buy.
Albeit Luke Shaw has now started the last three Premier League games, the 22-year-old hasn’t always been in Mourinho’s good books, as evidenced in this post-match press conference last season in which he questioned the England international’s attitude, as per BT Sport, while injuries have been an issue too.
Ashley Young has done a commendable job filling that role at times, but a natural left-back is surely needed to address the issue longer term.
Meanwhile, a lack of depth behind Antonio Valencia on the opposite flank should be a concern, while the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata have failed to provide enough creativity behind the main striker to ensure United score goals consistently.
As a result, an attacking midfielder being brought in could make sense, but ultimately can the ideal targets be signed midway through the campaign in January? An argument could be made that Mourinho would be better off waiting until the summer to get the best deals and his top targets, but the report above would suggest Man Utd might not wait.