Jose Mourinho Says Manchester United Are 'In Trouble,' Talks January Transfers

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted his side are "in trouble" but would not confirm whether they will pursue new signings in January. 

According to the Mirror's Liam Prenderville, he said: "I don't know about transfers. In this moment we are in trouble. In two to three weeks' time maybe we recover and we breathe in a different way. Can we improve now or do we wait until the summer? I cannot say."

United are 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and Anthony Martial left the field injured during Monday's 2-0 win over Everton.

Romelu Lukaku suffered a head injury in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Southampton, though Mourinho gave a reassuring update on the striker:

"I would say a week [out for Lukaku]. It's nothing really important—just a little protection, but no problem. We have what we have. We trust the players. The players are giving everything like they have done from the first minute of the season."

The Red Devils ended a run of three consecutive draws thanks to their win over the Toffees at Goodison Park, earning plaudits from The Independent's Miguel Delaney:

The victory could help the side get their campaign back on track, but it's clear recruitment is needed to help them hold on to a UEFA Champions League place, let alone close the gap on City.

Football writer Liam Canning believes it would be a misstep for United not to strengthen their squad in January:

ESPN's Alex Shaw noted there are issues to address in the Red Devils squad, with recruitment an obvious solution:

While Mourinho has spent a great deal of money during his short time at Old Trafford and isn't getting as much as he could be out of some of his charges—he should bear some responsibility for Henrikh Mkhitaryan's slump, for example—it's clear there are some flaws in the side that only further spending can resolve.

United may not be able to address all the areas they need to in January, but they can at least make a start—it would be unwise not to.