Jose Mourinho Admits Major January Signing for Man United Unlikely

Jose Mourinho believes his side will not make a major signing in January and says they can no longer raid other top English clubs for their best players.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes his side will not make a major signing in January and says they can no longer raid other top English clubs for their best players.

The Red Devils are thought to be after a center back in January but Mourinho believes their chances of signing anyone from a team like Tottenham are unlikely.

He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail: "Honestly, I don't think we are going to sign (anyone).

"If we do, I would say one player. I don't see us going more than that."

Mourinho used the example of Tottenham, who were seemingly a selling clubs around ten years ago when players like Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric left to win trophies with bigger clubs, to highlight the power struggle now present in the market.

"Is Manchester United by its history, by its dimension, bigger than Tottenham? I think everybody would say yes.

"Can you buy Tottenham's best players? No, because they don't sell. They are so powerful that they can say no.

"A few years ago, who was Tottenham's best player? Michael Carrick. And a few years later, who was the best player? Berbatov.

"Can we go there now and bring Harry Kane? Dele Alli, (Christian) Eriksen, Son (Heung-min) here? No. So who is more powerful now? Them or us?"

Mourinho also admitted his side should be doing better than their recent form suggests, but claimed it would be unwise to compare the club to what it was in the past.

He added: "I know that we have to do better than we are doing, absolutely, but one thing is to do better and another is to compare ourselves with what Manchester United was in the past because it's impossible.

"Not just because Manchester United was fantastic, but because there was a big difference to the others and now it is not like that.

"Before the smaller clubs were almost begging the big clubs: 'Get my best players. I need to sell. Please, you are powerful. Buy my best player.' At this moment, they don't want to sell.

"You have no chance in the transfer market unless you go to crazy numbers, or instead you go to what you call the second level players and still have crazy numbers. But that second level is not what Manchester United is."