Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Jose Mourinho ready to go to war with Man Utd, Arsenal by signing explosive attacker in January

Ainsley Maitland-Niles holding the ball next to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to go toe-to-toe with Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Arsenal in his bid to land a Barcelona forward in the January transfer window.

Netherlands forward Memphis Depay was the subject of interest from a number of clubs before the World Cup and has only enhanced his reputation in Qatar since as the Dutch prepare for a quarter-final clash with Argentina.

Depay’s career in Catalonia is stuttering under Xavi and is expected to be moved on in the new year.

The former United forward resurrected his career at Lyon after failing to make a mark at Old Trafford.

He ended up moving to Barca on a two-year contract in the summer of 2021 and was hugely impressive in the first half of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, after a number of new attacking players arrived to bolster Xavi’s team, Depay was pushed to one side.

The 28-year-old has been a bit-part player for the LaLiga side this season, with a hamstring injury further hampering him.

As a result, Depay has only chalked up 131 minutes of playing time for Barcelona.

That is in stark contrast to his importance to the Netherlands, where he has already played 222 minutes at the World Cup.

And with Depay up for grabs, it’s thought that he could look to leave next summer as a free agent and snap up a hefty signing bonus as a result.

According to Tuttosport, Mourinho’s Roma are looking to convince the player to join them.

Misfiring Roma forward line prompts Mourinho move

Mourinho wants to add to his stuttering forward line in the Italian capital, where Tammy Abraham has only notched three times in 15 league games this season.

At this stage, it’s unclear if Roma want to try and make the transfer happen in January. However, they may be forced to, if United and the Gunners make their own moves in the new year.

The English duo, along with Roma, can agree a pre-contract with the player in January. But with Depay set to be available for a cut-price fee in January, offers could be incoming.

Depay, meanwhile, is not the only player Barca player on Roma’s radar.

Mourinho is also keen on landing former Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin, with reports that the deal is close.

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