Mourinho slams Man Utd's UNPROFESSIONAL transfer policy

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 22 Apr 2024 14:23 BST
• 4 min read

Jose Mourinho has slammed Manchester United’s transfer business by stating “there are still a couple of players there I didn’t want five or six years ago.”

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss was in charge at Old Trafford from 2016 to 2018 and guided them to three trophies during his debut campaign at the club. He also helped Man Utd finish second in the 2017-18 Premier League season, an accomplishment he believes is one of the very best of his career.

The Red Devils have not won the English top flight since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, while their League Cup triumph in 2023 was their first trophy since Mourinho left.

READ MORE: ‘Man Utd still have players I didn’t want!’ – Who is Jose Mourinho talking about?

Erik ten Hag’s side blew a 3-0 lead in the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City on Sunday and required penalties to beat the Championship side, with €95 million signing Antony heavily criticised for his antics following the victory.

The Brazilian is one of several poor transfers made by Man Utd in recent years, while Anthony Martial remains at the club despite barely featuring over the past few seasons.

READ MORE: 'Mourinho is completely FINISHED and Leao thinks he's a genius' - Cassano

What has Jose Mourinho said?

During an in-depth interview with The Telegraph, Mourinho discussed his time at Old Trafford, throwing shade at the club’s transfer policy in the process.

“My relationship with [former chief executive] Ed Woodward was good,” Mourinho admitted.

“Good as in the personal point of view. Even now we send an SMS. But from a professional point of view it was not the best. I am who I am. I am a football man.

“Ed comes from a different background and what Ten Hag has in his time at Manchester United I didn’t have. I didn’t have that level of support. I didn’t have that level of trust. So I left sad, because I felt I was in the beginning of the process.

“In some moments, I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience things could be different.

“There are still a couple of players still there I didn’t want five or six years ago. I think they represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension.

“But I did my job there. Time always tells the truth. I would love Manchester United to succeed.”

Mourinho is currently unemployed after being sacked by AS Roma earlier this year, although he has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement.