Why Manchester United were right in not signing Bayern’s Jerome Boateng
Manchester United have endured a frustrating start to their Premier League campaign and have been unable to get out of the blocks in the early stages. The Red Devils suffered back to back losses but have picked up 3 wins in the first 5 games of the season.
Manager Jose Mourinho has come in for plenty of criticism, with the Portuguese coach storming out of a post-match press conference. The former Chelsea manager has to make amends soon as the pressure starts to mount.
The Red Devils were not very active in the summer transfer window as well, signing just Lee Grant, Fred and Diogo Dalot. Mourinho was expected to make a high-profile signing but the club failed to do so and there’s no truth as to who needs to be blamed.
Manchester United were also on the hunt for a defender, with Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng linked with the club for the majority of the summer. According to Sky Sports, Jerome Boateng made a phone call to the United coach to decline the Old Trafford offer when Mourinho approached him in the summer. However, not signing the German was a good move by the Red Devils.
United were also linked with the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Harry Maguire but failed to land them both. It appears that Mourinho would be better off going for a younger and more complete defender than Jerome Boateng.
There’s no doubt that the German defender is one of the most coveted defenders in the world but what United need at this stage is a long-term investment. Given that Boateng is turning 31 this year, the Red Devils will have to be on the hunt even after signing him as he would hardly offer 2 or 3 years of football.
And over the last two seasons, Boateng has shown a dip in his form. He has also suffered a number of injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for a prolonged period. Signing another defender in January is a huge step and it would be better for Mourinho to go with somebody who is proven in the Premier League.
If Boateng fails to make the mark at Old Trafford, Mourinho would have to explain another unjustified transfer coup gone wrong.
The best decision would be for United to play it safe and go for a proven defender at this point. Mourinho could also use those funds to strengthen the squad in other areas. It surely is a good decision by Man United that they opted against signing Jerome Boateng.