Axel Witsel’s agent Paul Stefani has claimed he knows from a good source that Jose Mourinho want his client this summer.
The Portuguese manager didn’t hide his desire to sign a central midfielder and he got his man in new signing Fred but perhaps he had his eye on someone else.
The Belgian international played a key role in his nation’s run to the semi-final and it garnered him enough interest to secure a move to Borussia Dortmund.
Apparently Mourinho’s interest wasn’t serious enough or perhaps the club couldn’t agree on a transfer fee.
Either way Witsel didn’t make the switch to Old Trafford and it could all work out for the best in the end.
Paul Stefani (Witsel’s agent): "I know from a very good source that Mourinho said he wanted Witsel, but not in the first place. N'Golo Kante topped his list.” #mufc [HLN]
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) August 8, 2018
Paul Stefani (Witsel’s agent): "There were other candidates. Manchester United wanted him, Napoli too. But I told Axel: 'At Dortmund you are the number one, at Manchester you are one of the many… and at Napoli too'." #mufc [HLN]
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) August 8, 2018
It’s true Axel perhaps wouldn’t have been the main man at United given how he’d be playing in a midfield three alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba.
It could even be argued that Fred himself isn’t the main man in that midfield either despite there being plenty of excitement surrounding him.
Nonetheless, it could be argued that the Red Devils needed a midfielder like the Brazilian more so than Witsel.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk man adds a new dynamic to Jose’s midfield that few can match so it’s fair to say the Belgian won’t be missed.
