What Happened to 3 Players Man Utd Signed for Jose Mourinho After Finishing 2nd

Jose Mourinho, never one to shy away from a sharp-tongued truth, once hailed his second-place finish with Manchester United in the 2017-18 Premier League season as one of his finest managerial feats. For a man who had conquered Europe with Porto and carefully sculpted Chelsea into a domestic juggernaut, this claim raised more than a few eyebrows.

But as always with Mourinho, there was more to his words than met the eye – a veiled jab at the dysfunction brewing behind the scenes at Old Trafford. He said in 2019:

Funnily enough, the summer that followed would prove his point in spades. Despite finishing a staggering 19 points behind Manchester City, United’s board responded with a transfer window that, at the time, didn’t seem disastrous – but hindsight is a cruel mistress, and the hierarchy failed to supplement a team in dire need of reinforcements.

With just three new arrivals, the supposed push for greater heights turned into a slow-motion nosedive. Fast-forward six years, and it’s painfully clear why Mourinho, a man who thrives on control, found himself at constant loggerheads with those pulling the strings as the club would slip to sixth 12 months later.

Diogo Dalot

Signed from Porto for £19m

If there was a silver lining to Manchester United’s otherwise forgettable summer of 2018, it was the arrival of Diogo Dalot from Porto. The Portuguese full-back has been a rare constant in a Red Devils defence that has changed more often than the British weather. Now closing in on his 200th appearance, he played a vital role in the club’s recent FA Cup and League Cup triumphs, proving himself as one of their most reliable assets.

Though naturally a right-back, Dalot has spent much of his recent United career filling in on the left – a consequence of Luke Shaw’s ongoing injury woes. Yet, despite being out of position, he’s barely put a foot wrong, a testament to his versatility and technical prowess, as he’s considered one of the best left-backs in the Premier League right now. Sadly, however, when looking back at that fateful transfer window, the positives start and end with the 25-year-old.

Fred

Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £47m

Next through the doors was little-known Brazilian quantity Fred from Shakthar Donetsk. Arriving at Old Trafford for a fee of £47m – making him one of Mourinho’s most expensive signings to date – expectations were sky-high for a dynamic, tiki-taka-savvy playmaker. However, it’s safe to say those ambitions never quite materialised.

One week, he’d be hailed as an underrated gem, the engine room’s unsung hero that the Red Devils could depend on; the next, he’d be the subject of rival fans’ mocks. While everyone at the club hoped he’d find his feet under Mourinho, and later Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag, the Belo Horizonte native just never quite fit the Premier League mold. Ultimately, he made a move to Fenerbahce in 2023 for a far more reasonable £8.3 million after 213 appearances for United.

Ironically, this means he’s now back working under Mourinho in Turkey, and he even scored a hat-trick at the start of the campaign, as he is one of many players to once again enjoy their football after leaving Old Trafford in his shadow.

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Lee Grant

Signed from Stoke City for £1.5m

Man United have a history of making bizarre goalkeeping choices, so much so that, at times, it felt like they were adding names to their glove-bearing unit just for the sake of it. United supporters will remember the time they brought Victor Valdes to the club despite having failed a medical with Monaco, only to then fall out with Louis van Gaal and be frozen out of the squad after making two appearances in total.

Along with Team Heaton and the like, Lee Grant is definitely up there as another confusing deal. The club still had five years worth of David de Gea left to enjoy, while they boasted Sergio Romero and Joel Pereira as their backups. Grant’s switch from Stoke City became even less defensible when he signed a contract extension after making one start across two campaigns, only to make no more before retiring a year later in May 2022. But fair play to him, as he was earning £30,000-per-week for the privilege. He’s perhaps best remembered by the Old Trafford faithful for bizarrely assuming the role of fourth official during a match against Newcastle.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – correct as of 04-02-2025.