Manchester United Transfer News: Jose Mourinho, Andre Gomes Plan Reported

Renowned agent Jorge Mendes reportedly plans to unite manager Jose Mourinho and Valencia’s Andre Gomes, two of his clients, at Manchester United next summer.

As translated by David Amoyal, GianlucaDiMarzio.com claimed both Juventus and Napoli are chasing the midfielder, but Valencia are not willing to authorise any sale.

“In fact the player's agent Jorge Mendes has a big project in mind: Bring his client to Manchester United along with Mourinho next summer,” the piece claimed.

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Mourinho has been touted as a possible option for United since he was sacked by Chelsea last month, with Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail claiming recently he’s “ready and willing” to take over from the under pressure Louis van Gaal.

It’s a potential appointment that has divided the Red Devils fanbase. On the one hand, the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss is a proven winner and a master motivator.

But he’s shown a penchant for having a huge initial impact before eventually leaving a club in bitter circumstances, often with little regard given for the team’s future.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News is backing a Mourinho appointment given who he could potentially find as a local rival next term:

Of course, Van Gaal is still in position, but he’s under major pressure. United may have won their last two games in succession against Sheffield United and Swansea City, but they’ve not been convincing displays.

Indeed, a late Wayne Rooney winner against the Blades in a 1-0 victory prompted more questions than answers.

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Prior to the Swansea clash, United had gone eight games without a win, slipping out of the title race in the process. As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, the statistics don’t make for great reading for the Dutchman:

The 22-year-old Gomes' main attribute is his intricate dribbling, meaning he’s a rare kind of central midfielder who can commit opponents in the middle of the park and move through phases with the ball at his feet.

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While Gomes also has a great work ethic, it’s tough to see Van Gaal bringing him to the club, as the midfielder needs a degree of freedom to flourish. But working under Mourinho, his compatriot, at the heart of a new era for this United team is something that may be a lot more appealing to the player.

Spanish football journalist David Cartlidge has been very impressed by some of Gomes’ recent displays:

Here are some of his best moments from a disappointing season so far for Los Che, during which the midfielder has been a rare bright spot:

It may sound remarkable that an agent can potentially channel such a high-profile manager and talented young player towards the same club in the summer, but Mendes’ influence seems to be on the rise in the football world.

Although he also has a reputation as something of a pragmatist, Mourinho does value players who are both inventive and industrious, boxes Gomes ticks.

Valencia have previously shown a willingness to cash in their top players in the past, but given their current predicament they’d surely put up a massive fight in an attempt to keep hold of their prized asset.