Jose Mourinho will go after Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic and Everton defender John Stones once he takes charge of Manchester United, according to the Daily Telegraph.
However, the report suggests United are likely to fail in their attempts to sign the players. Manchester City and Barcelona are believed to be leading the chase for Stones, whereas Chelsea are unlikely to sell Matic as Antonio Conte wants to work with the Serbian international.
Stones has been criticized for his performances at Everton in recent times, but that’s not believed to have deterred the interested clubs from intensifying their pursuit of the player.
The report goes on to suggest Mourinho would target one of Antonio Rudiger or Ezequiel Garay if he fails in his bid to bring Stones to United. It’s important to note that Garay, who plays for Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg, shares the same agent with Mourinho.
27-year-old Matic didn’t have a good season at Chelsea, but if he could regain his form from the 2014/15 season, he would be a top signing. Stones had a poor season as well, but he’s still only 21 years old and signing talented youngsters with great potential, but also good enough to make an immediate mark. This has been part of United’s philosophy ever since Sir Alex Ferguson took charge back in 1986.
