Mourinho won the Community Shield, the EFL Cup, and the Europa League in 2016-17 before being fired after a dismal start to his third season at Old Trafford.
We looked at his 11 first-team signings at United and ranked them from worst to best.
11. Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez, the signing that came to define Mourinho’s era at United, was always going to be last here.
Despite reputedly earning £400,000 per week, he was a shadow of his former self at Old Trafford, netting only five goals in 45 games.
The Chile international was eventually loaned out to Inter Milan before making the transfer permanent in 2020, earning a large pay-off in the process.
Sure enough, he’s rediscovered his form in Milan and shown to be a valuable asset in the 2020-21 title win under Antonio Conte. Typical.
10. Lee Grant
Grant has been a backup goalkeeper for United since joining Stoke City for £1.5 million in 2018. He has made just two first-team appearances.
Despite being pushed down the pecking order by Dean Henderson, David de Gea, and Tom Heaton, the 38-year-old agreed to a contract extension until the end of 2021-22.
He is said to be a significant role in the locker room and will continue to work on his coaching credentials during the season.
9. Diogo Dalot
Dalot, formerly regarded as one of Europe’s most promising young defenders, joined Mourinho at United in a £19 million signing in 2018.
“I believe he is one of the best coaches ever, and it is a dream come true for me to work beside him and learn from him.” “It’s extremely wonderful for me,” Dalot started in December 2018.
However, he only made six first-team appearances under his compatriot and has since been replaced at Old Trafford by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The 22-year-old spent 2020-21 on loan at AC Milan and was linked with a permanent move to the Serie A club, but he opted to stay and has had a revival under Ralf Rangnick. If he can keep it up, he might be able to move up the list.
8. Eric Bailly
Bailly, Mourinho’s first signing at United, became an instant fan favorite and had a very promising debut season in 2016-17.
However, a succession of injuries has caused him to fall out of favor, limiting him to only 32 Premier League games in the last three and a half seasons.
Since the arrival of Raphael Varane, the Ivory Coast international has dropped lower down the pecking order. His future is uncertain, although given that he is under contract until 2024, he might very well stay a squad member for a few more years.
7. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan made a £26 million move to United after winning the Bundesliga Player of the Year title in 2015-16.
While the Armenian international was instrumental in the club’s Europa League triumph in 2017, he struggled for consistency and failed to adjust to life in the Premier League.
The 32-year-old suffered another disappointing season at Arsenal before joining Serie A side Roma in 2020, where he has reunited with Mourinho.
6. Nemanja Matic
After working with Matic at Chelsea, Mourinho chose to move the Serbia international to United in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £40 million.
During Moutinho’s final 18 months at Old Trafford, he became a near-constant in midfield, but he never quite regained the form he showed at Stamford Bridge.
The 32-year-old had an extended run in the side following lockdown under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he now finds himself on the outskirts of the first squad due to his lack of mobility in the middle of the pitch.
5. Fred
Fred, who joined United for £47 million in 2018, had a dismal debut season amid rumors that Mourinho never truly wanted him.
However, he has shown flashes of quality under Solskjaer and now Rangnick, demonstrating why United was willing to spend so much to bring him in from Shakhtar.
The Brazil international has yet to entirely convince on a consistent basis, but it’s not out of the question that in the right environment, he may eventually blossom, becoming the player United requires week in and week out.
4. Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku joined United in a £75 million signing after Zlatan Ibrahimovic suffered a catastrophic knee injury in 2017 and dominated Mourinho’s attack.
During his two seasons with United, the Belgian international scored 42 goals in 96 games, however, 11 of those goals came in his first ten games, highlighting the significant drop-off.
He was a much-maligned figure at Old Trafford in 2018-19 before joining Inter Milan, where he had his greatest season, before returning to the Premier League and signing for Chelsea in a £100 million deal.
Thomas Tuchel’s Blues are currently dealing with the same issues with the attacker.
3. Victor Lindelof
Lindelof, who joined United from Benfica in 2017, showed flashes of potential but made a number of high-profile gaffes in his first season.
Under Solskjaer, the Sweden international improved and forged a good defensive partnership with Harry Maguire, though Mourinho admitted he’s not totally persuaded.
“Lindelof is very, very good in some facets of the game,” Mourinho said in 2019 to Sky Sports. “But he can be bullied in the box one-on-one, he’s not particularly brilliant in the air, and Maguire has that kind of presence and toughness that is quite crucial.”
Many expected Lindelof to drop down the pecking order with the addition of Varane, but early indications suggest that Rangnick prefers him to Maguire.
2. Paul Pogba
Pogba returned to United in 2016 in an £89 million agreement, four years after leaving the club on a free transfer to Juventus.
In 2016-17, he won the League Cup and scored the first goal in the Europa League final before his relationship with Mourinho soured.
The public feud divided fans and commentators alike, but the France international rediscovered his form and looked like one of Europe’s greatest midfielders for a time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Nonetheless, Pogba hasn’t won a trophy for United since Mourinho’s departure, and – whether through his own fault or not – has never been able to deliver.
This summer, the club-record signing is ready to go for free for the second time. Given that, we’re sure many will argue that he belongs so high on this list, but no one else compares when he’s on the form.
1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic joined United as a free agent at the age of 34, despite some questions about his ability to make an impact in the Premier League.
In 2016-17, the striker silenced his detractors by scoring 28 goals in all competitions, including the Community Shield winner and a critical brace in the League Cup final.
“I conquered England in three months,” Ibrahimovic boasted to United’s official website in January 2017.
While a devastating knee injury in April 2017 ended his United career, he remains one of the club’s top purchases in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Given that he’s still scoring goals for AC Milan at the age of 40, they may have done well to keep him around longer than they did.
