Jose
Mourinho says Chelsea's move for Alvaro Morata was "obvious" but insists
Manchester United have a "top striker" in Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea announced they agreed a fee with Real Madrid for Morata on Wednesday
night, which Sky sources understand to be worth an initial £58m, potentially
rising to £70m.
Mourinho was in charge of Real Madrid when Morata broke into their first
team, and a reunion at Old Trafford had looked likely until Lukaku headed to
United despite reports of a return to Stamford Bridge.
"I am not interested in what Chelsea Football Club does, really," the United
boss said in Houston, after learning of Chelsea's deal for Morata.
"We needed a striker, yes. We needed with Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) in his best
conditions, we needed one to give cover, to give options.
"Him and Marcus (Rashford) was not enough and especially after Zlatan's
injury.
"We got a big player - a player that I can compare with what he was a few
years ago because he worked with me a few months four or five years ago.
"His development was very, very good, so we think we have a player that is
now a top player in Europe.
"He has to prove it at the highest level, there is always that point. Now he
has to do it for Manchester United, in Champions League matches but I think
he has amazing qualities.
"I think it was obvious Chelsea would sign a striker, especially after the
situation with the manager and Diego (Costa).
"It was clear that they were going to get a striker, they did it with Alvaro
and Alvaro is a very good player for them."
Manchester United are close to agreeing a fee with Inter Milan for Ivan
Perisic, according to Sky sources, although the sum has been a sticking
point in protracted negotiations between the clubs.
Mourinho would ideally like to sign a further two players but has come to
the terms with the fact only one may arrive in what he describes as an
inflated market.
"Everybody knows because I said it, I would like four players and asked for
four players," Mourinho added.
"I'm ready to go from four to three because the market is difficult, because
some clubs they think the market is different from others.
"We are not a club that is not ready to buy and buy and buy non-stop. We are
not a club that is ready to pay what clubs wants us to pay, so I am ready to
go from four to three.
"With these three, I just give a better balance to the team, to the squad
and better conditions to compete."
Kyle Walker is set to make his first Manchester City appearance at the
Houston Texans' NRG Stadium - the first Manchester derby on foreign soil -
having arrived from Tottenham in a deal that could reach £50m.
Asked if that sum had surprised him, Mourinho said: "It doesn't surprise me,
really.
"It doesn't surprise me because I keep saying there is big economic power in
every club that allows the clubs to say no or to say, 'You pay what I want
or you don't get it'.
"I can imagine that Man City would like to pay £25m for Kyle. I can imagine
that.
"But I am sure that they knocked on Spurs' door and were told, 'This is the
price'. If you don't pay, you don't get.
"Then you have the option to pay or have the option to say no, so the market
will be always what people ask and what people pay.
"The strange thing is that now I am used to paying or seeing teams paying
big amounts for big players - and now everybody is paying big amounts for
good players.
"There is a difference between good players and big players, and now the
figures go really crazy also for normal players."
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