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Mourinho spots Man Utd opening to exploit ahead of January move

Jose Mourinho has his sights set on a January deal with Man Utd for a star whose strong desire could leave the club open to a raid, according to a report.

Mourinho did not take long to find his next role after his stint with Tottenham was cut short last season. The Portuguese took the managerial reins at Roma and has made a fine start, guiding them to victories in three of their first four Serie A matches.

Mourinho relied on his connections to a former club when overseeing Roma’s headline transfer this summer.

Ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham moved to the Italian capital on a permanent deal and has already delivered a series of encouraging displays.

Now, according to Sport Witness (citing Calciomercato), Mourinho is plotting a raid on another club he once managed – Man Utd.

Mourinho is declared to be a big fan of Red Devils right-back Diogo Dalot. The 22-year-old is currently serving as chief back-up to Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

He was persistently linked with a return to AC Milan throughout the summer after excelling on loan last season.

Dalot would ultimately remain in Manchester. Though his desire to make Portugal’s World Cup squad will not be aided by sitting on the bench each week.

Roma are noted to be in the market for a new right-back, and Dalot is on their radar. His World Cup aspirations are duly noted. Dalot is under no illusion he needs to be ‘playing regularly’ to make the cut.

Roma’s Sporting Director, Tiago Pinto, is also fully aware Dalot’s desire presents an opportunity for his side to pounce.

He has reportedly drafted a plan to sign Dalot on loan in January with an option to buy at a later date.

Whether Man Utd would be willing to part ways with Dalot, only time will tell. The club were heavily linked with Kieran Trippier in the summer. That would indicate Dalot would be expendable if an upgrade could be signed.

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Atletico reason for snubbing Ronaldo deal revealed

Meanwhile, the reason why a Spanish giant turned their nose up when offered the chance to sign Man Utd talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has come to light, per a report.

Ronaldo’s return has elevated expectations for the campaign, though Jamie Carragher relayed why he fears the Portuguese legend will stifle Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho.

Nonetheless, it would be difficult for even the most ardent anti-Man Utd fan to argue Ronaldo won’t increase the club’s chances of breaking their four-plus-year trophy drought.

But according to the Sun, Ronaldo’s return could’ve been derailed had Atletico Madrid accepted an intriguing proposal.

Citing Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, the newspaper reveal Ronaldo was ‘offered’ to the LaLiga champions by the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes. That reportedly occurred while Ronaldo was still a Juventus player, but Diego Simeone’s side rejected the move.

Their reasoning stemmed over ‘fears of a furious fan backlash’. Ronaldo became a legend with bitter rivals Real and a swoop could’ve angered their supporter base. Instead, Atletico left it late before re-signing Antoine Griezmann on loan from Barcelona.

READ MORE: Paper Talk: Man Utd line up Tottenham enigma to replace superstar

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