Now the real work begins for Manchester United after Europa League victory
Manchester United secured their first ever Europa League triumph with what was in the end, a relatively comfortable 2-0 victory over Ajax in Stockholm.
By lifting Europe’s secondary trophy, the Red Devils have earned a place in next season’s Champions League, which will ensure they have the best possible chance of securing their top transfer targets this summer.
Our friends at Football Whispers have looked ahead to what will surely be a busy few months for United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
READ MORE: United beat Ajax to secure Champions League football for next season
Time for Ed Woodward to step up
“Now, I am on holiday,” José Mourinho told BT after seeing his side lift the Europa League trophy on Wednesday night.
When asked whether the fact that the Red Devils have secured Champions League football will boost his chances of recruiting top-level players this summer, the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss handed responsibility over to the man who signs the cheques.
“Ed Woodward has my list of what I want and what I would like for more than two months,” he said.
“Now, it’s up to him and the owners and the people that work with him. I just wait.”
While Mourinho hits the beach, Woodward will be gearing up for his busiest time of the year. The Old Trafford club’s executive vice-chairman used to be a figure of ridicule for his transfer market dealings, with reports of audacious bids for unattainable players. But last summer, all of that changed.
With the arrival of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly, Woodward silenced his doubters by overseeing arguably the most successful transfer window in the club’s history.
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When reports first broke of United’s interest in re-signing Pogba from Juventus, the potential deal was laughed off by many. The general feeling was that the Frenchman would surely join Real Madrid or Barcelona if he were to leave the Old Lady.
But Woodward made it happen in a world record £89million deal, proving that even with three years of gross underperformance and not Champions League football on offer, United could still bag the big names.
Now, almost a year on and with a return to Europe’s top table secured, United can cast their recruitment net almost without limit. And, as last year showed, money is no object.
Griezmann to finally make the move?
Antoine Griezmann appears to be the name at the top of Mourinho’s wish list. The French star is the kind of inventive and mobile forward who could breathe new life into a United attack which has frustrated for most of this season.
In an impending saga that is sure to rival the will-he-won’t-he, on-again-off-again drama that their pursuit of Pogba turned into last summer, there have already been reports and counterclaims speculating over Griezmann’s willingness to swap Madrid for Manchester.
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However, earlier this week there appeared to be a positive shift in the direction of United getting their man, as the Atlético Madrid forward discussed the possibility of him joining Mourinho’s men during an appearance on French TV.
Asked to rate his chances of moving to Old Trafford, Griezmann responded, “six out of 10”.
“I want to win titles,” the Atlético Madrid No.7 said. “We finished third in La Liga, it was the objective of the club, but we, the players, want more.
“Winning titles is what I will look for this summer when deciding on my future. I think I will decide [on my future] in the next two weeks,” he said.
These remarks sparked widespread reports claiming Griezmann has received a concrete offer of £240,000 per week from United, with the Premier League club willing to meet his £86million release clause. The player was said to be waiting to see if the Red Devils would qualify for next season’s Champions League before making his final decision.
With the groundwork seemingly done, Woodward will now be under pressure to get a deal over the line for Griezmann, and in good time too. Mourinho will be keen to have his squad settled as early as possible and ready for the club’s pre-season tour of the USA.
The spending won’t stop with Griezmann, however. United are also thought to be pursuing Monaco’s impressive playmaker Bernardo Silva, while reports in Spain suggest they are interested in Real Madrid’s James Rodríguez.
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It’s unlikely that both will be signed due to their relatively similar profile, but the fact that such players are being lined up, potentially along with Chelsea’s Willian, appears to show that Mourinho wants a new man for the right side of his attack who is also capable of playing as a No.10.
A central midfielder, central defender and left-back also seem to be on the manager’s agenda.
United will reportedly battle with Chelsea over Tiemoué Bakayoko, another young Monaco star, to bolster midfield. The Ligue 1 champions’ full-back Benjamin Mendy is thought to be the top contender to replace Luke Shaw, who Mourinho has his doubts over.
In central defence, Burnley’s Michael Keane has been linked with a £25million return to Old Trafford.
Mourinho insisted that he doesn’t want to think about football now until pre-season. But with Woodward doing his bidding in the transfer market, the United manager will have his phone switched on awaiting updates.
