Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho completely ruled out any move for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo today. He was speaking to the press following the 2-5 win against Los Angeles Galaxy at the StubHub Center. Although the club is definitely in the market for more attackers, the Portuguese pointed out that it will be far more prudent for the club to go for players who are attainable rather than trying to sign Ronaldo, which he described as 'mission impossible'.
Mission impossible
A few weeks back, Cristiano Ronaldo had been in the middle of a tax related storm in Spain and there were reports that suggested that the player had made up his mind to quit Real Madrid.
When the news emerged, it quickly became apparent that his former club Manchester United was definitely among the options and there had been reports that the club was in the midst of preparing a bid for the superstar. However, things have changed and Ronaldo is all set to stay at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future.
Jose Mourinho's statements today reflected the change in circumstances as well as he pointed out that Ronaldo is the most important player at one of Europe's most financially powerful clubs and there is no reason for him to quit. He went on to say, "I'm not going to waste my time thinking about players who are mission impossible."
Change of tack
However, the fact that Jose Mourinho has ruled out a move for Cristiano Ronaldo shows that the club is not going to pursue the player at the expense of other players and repeat the follies of the 2013 transfer window under David Moyes.
That year, United believed that they could get Ronaldo and did not pursue other players with much enthusiasm, and ended up completing deals on the final day. Mourinho, on the other hand, is a savvy operator and is not going to be swayed by the promise of signing one of the world's best footballers.
United has already signed Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku for a whopping $98.1 million (converted from £75 million) and is expected to add to their attacking repertoire before the transfer window closes.
Jose Mourinho had said at the start of the off season that the club is aware of his transfer targets and like last year, it is expected that the transfer business will be completed quickly. United has not won the English Premier League since 2013 and in Mourinho's second season as manager, the club expects to be crowned the champions of England at the end of the 2017-18 season.
