During those drawn-out final days at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho had a habit of coming across like a spoilt child demanding to know where Santa had hidden his shiny new PS5 on Christmas morning.
Despite spending about £400 million in his previous two years as Manchester United manager – including £70 million in summer 2018 – that apparently wasn’t enough to wipe the frown from Mourinho’s face.
“I would like to have two more players – I think I am not going to get two,” Mourinho moaned, only one month after splashing out £52 million on Fred, as per The Guardian.
“I gave a list to my club of five names a few months ago and I wait to see if it’s possible to have one of those players.”
We’d imagine Daniel Levy now knows how Ed Woodward felt – in need of a lie-down to last a lifetime after being pulled from pillar to post by a high-maintenance manager.
According to The Telegraph, Mourinho repeatedly butted heads with Levy too, with recruitment again a major bone of contention.
It’s understood Tottenham’s failure to bring in a top-class centre-half infuriated Mourinho no end (The Athletic).
And, to be honest, we can’t really blame him, even if the covid crisis made securing big-money transfers even more difficult than usual.
Trying to win the Premier League with Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and an ageing Toby Alderweireld in your starting XI must be like trying to build a three-story mansion on the shifting sands of Southend beach.
Will Tottenham sign Mourinho’s top target Milan Skriniar?
According to ESPN, Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan was the Tottenham manager’s top defensive target; a commanding, versatile, rock-solid centre-back very much in the Jose mould.
But Levy was unwilling to fork out the £55 million Inter wanted, offering £30 million. Inter, of course, refused.
But imagine the look on you-know-who’s face if Skriniar ends up in north London 12 months later, shaking hands with old adversary Antonio Conte.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Conte would love to be reunited with Skriniar having swigged from the same bottle of champagne on the ticker tape-covered San Siro turf in May.
Conte has apparently been given assurances by Levy he will have funds to spend – £150 million to be precise – and Inter’s well publicised financial issues could play straight into Tottenham’s hands too.
And if Skriniar arrives, Virgil van Dijk-like to transform Tottenham’s error-prone back line, even Mourinho could be forgiven for asking why he didn’t receive the same backing?
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