Manchester United Transfer News: Wesley Sneijder Eyed Amid Jose Mourinho Rumours

Jose Mourinho will reportedly move to make Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder his first signing at Manchester United, should he eventually replace under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal.  

According to Martin Lipton of the Sun, the former Chelsea manager is already making plans in case he does end up at Old Trafford in the near future and has cited Sneijder as a “game-breaker.”

The Dutchman and Mourinho have worked together before, of course, with the midfielder a central part of his Inter Milan side that won the Champions League in 2010. Lipton writes Sneijder is currently “unhappy” at Galatasaray, and should he move to Old Trafford under Mourinho, he’d be a “perfect fit.”

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Lipton continued, stating that Sneijder would be “a dressing room acolyte, capable of telling the rest of the squad how good the manager is, and also someone who buys into his work ethic.”

Here’s a look at what the 31-year-old, who joined Galatasaray in 2013, could potentially add at Old Trafford:

Mourinho isn’t the manager of United yet, despite being the big favourite to take over should Van Gaal get the boot.

The Portuguese is currently unattached after Chelsea sacked him last week, with the champions enduring a horrendous start to the season. Van Gaal finds himself in a precarious position at the moment, with a 2-1 defeat against Norwich City at the weekend serving as the final straw for many supporters of the Dutchman.

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According to Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, some tentative talks have been held between Red Devils’ and Mourinho’s representatives. Bleacher Report’s Rob Blanchette feels Mourinho would be worth the hassle:

Whether or not it’d be worth bringing Sneijder along is another matter entirely. The Dutch midfielder enjoyed the finest spell of his career under Mourinho at Inter, and as is evident in the clips above, he still possesses the guile to have a positive impact on games at the highest level.

As we can see here, courtesy of OptaCan, Sneijder has been in brilliant form as of late for the Istanbul giants:

Even so, the midfielder is past his best, and while the quality of the Turkish Super Lig is constantly on the up, it doesn’t compare to the furious nature of English football. Sneijder remains sharp cerebrally and can still pick a pass, but the industry that made him so good under Mourinho would be tough to rekindle in a second spell together.

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Indeed, if United were to appoint Mourinho, history has shown us the Portuguese will target players who are at the peak of their powers. Ultimately, it’s an approach that has been his downfall in a lot of jobs, with no clear path to the first team for young players. 

But for Red Devils fans who want to see their club challenge for titles again immediately, Mourinho would be ideal. For those of that mindset, if Sneijder can come in and make a short-term impact, it’ll be a deal worth doing.