Antony transfer could give Manchester United something Jose Mourinho loved

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho knew exactly what he was doing as he went in pursuit of midfielder Fred four years ago. The Portuguese was eager to revitalise his stagnant midfield ahead of his third and, in the end, final season at Old Trafford, with the Shakhtar star high on his list.

Mourinho identified Fred as the man to fill the void left by Michael Carrick’s retirement after an exhaustive search for midfield talent. He had compiled a dossier of midfielders from around the world - telling scouts to watch Jean Michael Seri, Marco Verratti, Arturo Vidal and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as he narrowed down his targets.

In the end, they settled on Fred, a player who had been pursued by Manchester City in the January window before Shakhtar rejected what was described as a significant bid. Pep Guardiola's side switched attention to Jorginho, who opted for a reunion with Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. United were left with a free run at the energetic midfielder.

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In April of that year, Mourinho tactically spoke to the Brazilian press and paid homage to the rich tapestry of talented players the nation had produced.

"I think a team without a Brazilian isn't a team," Mourinho told ESPN Brazil. "I think their talent is fantastic and the creativity of the Brazilian player cannot be measured. If a European team, like very much European, could have a Brazilian in their squad, it would bring a Brazilian 'thing' to the game and I think that's very important."

Two months later, Fred was unveiled as United's second signing of the summer after Diogo Dalot, becoming the 100th player Mourinho had signed in his entire career.

Four years on