Transfer Centre

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho: 'We have three new players, we need four'

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 05 July 2016

Jose Mourinho all but confirms Henrikh Mkhitaryan's arrival at Manchester United and reveals that they are working to sign a fourth player.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that the club are working on bringing a fourth new face into Old Trafford while all but confirming Henrikh Mkhitaryan's arrival.

Mourinho, who was appointed as Louis van Gaal's successor in May, has already signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly.

Borussia Dortmund's Mkhitaryan is widely expected to be the next player though the door, and Mourinho almost let it slip during his first press conference as United boss.

The former Chelsea manager also insisted that the fourth signing will be made well in advance of deadline day.

"The third player is already official? No, okay, the third player will be official soon," Mourinho told reporters. "I am a manager that likes specialists rather than multi-functional players because I am clear in my approach. Multi-functional players - you need one or two if you have three central defenders injured, but, basically, I want specialists.

"We have isolated four main criteria [for signings]. We have three now and until we have four we don't stop working. When we do, we can breathe. We are working hard, me and Mr Ed Woodward and the owners. We are not going to get the fourth on August 31, we are going to get the fourth before then."

Paul Pogba, who left United on a free transfer to join Juventus in 2012, has widely been reported as United's top target this summer.