Jose Mourinho will find a “transfer war-chest” under his tree when he wakes up on Christmas morning, reports The Sun, with the paper claiming that the United manager will be given the present by his board in order to strengthen the squad in the second half of the season.
Crammed into the chest will be £80million after Mourinho “met with club chiefs last week to thrash out plans for next month’s upcoming window”.
Apparently the Portuguese has earmarked a left-back, right winger and playmaker in his January bargain hunt, and to make room for the new additions the Sun says that Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian will be shown the door.
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Newcastle were at one time linked to the 22-year-old Shaw but his £20m price tag is said to have deterred the Magpies, whereas Darmian’s more modest asking price of £15m has already attracted interest from Sevilla and Roma.
As for which players might be arriving at Old Trafford next month, the Daily Star believes that Leon Goretzka is on Mourinho’s list but that Schalke will fight tooth and nail to hang on to the 22-year-old midfielder.
The Germany international is at liberty to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs as of January 1, and the Star says that United are one of several clubs competing for his hand.
Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Tottenham are also keen and that’s why the German press are reporting that Schalke are ready to offer Goretzka a club record £150,000-a-week deal to secure his loyalty.
Asked about his future at the weekend, the playmaker said: “It’s not about the money, it definitely isn’t. I just need to decide what’s best for me, for my career, and I mean to do it not after January.”
And the Metro thinks Shaw will be replaced by Tottenham defender Danny Rose with the paper claiming that Mourinho is “confident that a £50m deal can be struck in January”.
The England left-back wants the move to happen and while an agreement wasn’t reached between the two clubs in August, the Metro says that Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is now willing to sell Rose if the United price is right.
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