Jose Mourinho: Sir Alex Ferguson told me to sign Dele Alli at Man United
Sir Alex Ferguson urged Jose Mourinho to sign Dele Alli for Man United when he was Red Devils boss
Jose Mourinho has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson urged him to sign Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur when he was in charge at Manchester United.
Mourinho spent two-and-a-half seasons in charge at Old Trafford after he was appointed as Louis van Gaal’s successor at the club back in May 2016.
The Portuguese coach brought a number of players to Manchester United during his spell at the club, including Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba.
However, the Spurs boss has now revealed that former Red Devils manager Ferguson urged him to complete a deal to sign Alli while he was in charge at Manchester United.
Speaking in an Amazon Prime documentary about Tottenham, Mourinho said: “I told already Dele very, very directly, he doesn’t train well.
“He’s not a good trainer. I’m not saying a disaster, but I’m not saying a Harry Kane. You know, Harry Kane trains well.
“Sir Alex Ferguson gave me only one advice in two-and-a-half years: ‘Buy Dele Alli. That guy, with that mentality, the way he plays, the aggression he has in his mind, this guy is the Manchester United guy. Buy that guy.’
“And he has an eye for players. And he told me: ‘Dele Alli’. But he’s not a good trainer. We need to find the right motivation for the guy.”
Alli, 24, was a key player for Tottenham Hotspur last season as the Lilywhites finished in sixth place in the Premier League table.
The England international scored eight goals and made four assists in 25 Premier League games for the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Manchester United managed to secure a top-four finish under Mourinho’s successor at Old Trafford Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils ended up in third place in the Premier League table to book their spot in the Champions League for next season.
Manchester United will kick off their new Premier League campaign with a home clash against Crystal Palace on 19 September.
Spurs, meanwhile, will take on Everton at home in their Premier League opener on 12 September.
