United recently signed Romelu Lukaku for £75million but Mourinho feels a lot more still needs to be done.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is set to have crunch talks executive vice chairman Ed Woodward as concerns regarding the club’s transfer activity grow.
United recently signed Romelu Lukaku for £75million but Mourinho feels a lot more still needs to be done.
Woodward has delayed his flight to the USA while trying to tie up deals for two remaining targets, report the Manchester Evening News.
He is not expected to be in Houston for the first ever Manchester derby staged outside of the UK – which is a measure of the difficulty he is having over negotiations for Ivan Perisic, Nemanja Matic,and Eric Dier.
It is understood there could be a late change of plans – but United were not anticipating Woodward’s attendance at the NRG Stadium in Houston.
Instead he is expected to meet up with Mourinho and the travelling party at their base in Beverly Hills, when the issue of transfers will be on the agenda.
Mourinho made it clear he believes the signings of Lukaku and Victor Lindelof – at a combined value of £106m – only represent 50 percent of his business.
He wanted Perisic to join up with his squad here in the US before flying out with Inter to China on the Italians’ pre-season tour.
That didn’t happen – with Woodward refusing to meet Inter’s £49m valuation.
Negotiations for Matic and Dier have also been problematic, despite Mourinho’s determination to secure a holding midfielder.
While Woodward has worked his way through a list of targets handed to him in March, Mourinho has been open about his frustrations.
He told ESPN this week: “We always feel there is room to improve, and I cannot say that I am happy with our transfer window.
“What I can also say is that it is a difficult transfer window and I don’t blame anyone — it is just a reality of things. The market is going in such a direction that many players are difficult to get, not to say impossible.”
Ahead of the game against Manchester City, he added: “I would like four players – I asked for four players.
“And I’m ready to go from four to three because the market is difficult, some clubs think the market is different from others.
“We are not a club that is ready to buy and buy and buy non-stop. We are not a club that is ready to pay what the clubs want us to pay so I’m ready to go from four to three.
“And maybe three gives us a better balance for the squad and the team, and better conditions to compete.”
Mourinho has stayed out of negotiations – leaving recruitment to Woodward while he holidayed with his family following an exhausting first season at Old Trafford.
He wanted his new players in place in time for United.
While he has not criticised Woodward, his comments do add pressure in a pivotal transfer window.
He has watched on as City have secured four signings in Ederson Moraes, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Douglas Luiz – and are on the verge of two more, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy.
Woodward’s desire is to deliver at least one more player before flying out to the US – but is facing the prospect of having to significantly raise his offers for Mourinho’s top targets.
Source:www.mirror.co.uk