Jose Mourinho 'Not Confident' of Manchester United Deadline-Day Transfers

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he is "not confident" of making any new signings on the final day of the transfer window. 

The Red Devils have been linked with a number of players ahead of Thursday's 5 p.m. BST deadline, and Mourinho was asked about the prospect of fresh faces arriving at Old Trafford before then.

The Portuguese said he's not confident any deals will be done, per Rob Dawson of ESPN FC:

United have made three signings this summer in Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant, although there are areas of the squad that appear in need of reinforcement if the team is to challenge for the Premier League title this term.

The Red Devils have been most strongly linked with a new defender. As Sky Sports News noted, both Leicester City star Harry Maguire and Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng are in the frame for United.

According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld and Barcelona man Yerry Mina have also been considered, although neither is likely to arrive at Old Trafford:

While United spent big money to sign Fred (£47 million) and shelled out plenty for the 19-year-old Dalot (£19 million), there's still been a lingering sense of frustration around the club when it comes to transfer dealings.

The weak points in United's squad have perhaps been overplayed at a point in the season when hyperbole reigns, although for a club that will be desperate to challenge for honours, sufficient ground doesn't appear to have been made to Manchester City, who picked up a remarkable 100 points on their way to top spot last term.

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United finished 19 points behind their local rivals and have also watched long-term enemies Liverpool, who made it to the UEFA Champions League final last season, splash the cash on the likes of Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Naby Keita in this transfer window.

Still, during the press conference, Mourinho did back his squad and suggested some rivals have been talked up a little too much, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

The manager is unlikely to be too pleased if no more business is done. Writer Rob Blanchette thinks that may tell us something about the club's faith in the manage to get things right:

Mourinho seemingly feels his defence requires improvement despite spending a combined £61 million on Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof in the past two summers. In addition, the starting full-backs appear set to be Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young once again; the duo played in midfield under iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The season opener against Leicester on Friday is huge for Mourinho and United. A strong performance and three points would set up the side nicely for the new campaign and make supporters forget about a disappointing transfer window. If they draw or lose, you get the sense some difficult questions would be asked.