Jose Mourinho laughs off claims about him attempting to sign Eric Dier as Nemanja Matic was always his favoured target
Mourinho insists he has no regrets over having a look at Dier - which Mauricio Pochettino claimed unsettled his defender.
Sponsored by
JOSE MOURINHO laughed off storm over his interest in Eric Dier and insisted: "I got the player I wanted in the end anyway."
Mourinho had been accused of unsettling Dier by Mauricio Pochettino, both last December and in the summer, in the Spurs boss's new book.
He ultimately landed Nemanja Matic from Chelsea in a stunning £40 million raid, and the Serbian has been one of the stars of Manchester United’s season.
Matic’s sparkling start to life at Old Trafford has certainly dimmed any regrets Mourinho may have had at failing to sign Dier – although he insists there are none of those.
Mourinho, whose side face Spurs tomorrow, claimed: “I have the player I want to have - probably the one I didn’t think was possible to have, but in the end I got the one I really wanted.”
Tottenham have suffered a mighty blow with the loss of Harry Kane with a tweaked hamstring.
Yet Mourinho refused to be drawn on his absence, pointing instead to the vast number of United crocks.
He added: “I don't speak about injured players so don't ask me about Harry Kane, because I have to speak about Marcos Rojo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Michael Carrick.”
HARRY WHO? Spurs don't have to worry about losing Kane.. and here's eight reasons why
But United should have Eric Bailly back again after groin trouble, while Phil Jones – on the bench for the midweek League Cup win – is also available.
One man still missing, though, is Luke Shaw – although Mourinho insists the injury-plagued left back can still have a future at Old Trafford.
Latest club news
Shaw had openly spoken about his own admiration for Pochettino – his old boss at Southampton – and how he would love to play under him again.
Mourinho had no problem with that and insisted: “Luke Shaw was just honest. He has a future here but the situation is not easy because he comes from injury after injury after injury.
“He needs two, three, four, five or six matches in a row to play, to make mistakes, to get condition, to get match fitness and I cannot give him that.
“If he was a central midfielder then yes, as we only have two but at left back we have so many options. The situation is not easy, but he’s in the squad, he works and maybe the opportunity will come.”
