Jose Mourinho made some of the best signings in recent years for Manchester United.
Mourinho brought in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Diogo Dalot, who all things considered, were successes at Manchester United.
The legendary Portuguese manager had a pull that not many managers have. Players genuinely wanted to work under Mourinho.
But there was one man who Mourinho failed to bring to Manchester United – and now he’s thriving in the Premier League.
Justin Kluivert has been phenomenal for Bournemouth
Justin Kluivert isn’t exactly a name that many would have been expecting to see thriving in the Premier League this season.
Under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, the Dutch attacking-midfielder has been lethal, which has propelled him to 11 goals and four assists in 23 games so far this season.
It’s no wonder he has an eye for goal, being the son of legendary striker Patrick Kluivert, but he’s even surpassing Europe’s best with his numbers.
According to the BBC, he has a 22% goal conversion rate, which makes him more clinical than Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Matheus Cunha this season.
| Rank | Name | Team | Goals | Assists | Played | Goals per 90 | Minutes per Goal | Total Shots | Goal Conversion | Shot Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 21 | 13 | 23 | 0.93 | 97 | 90 | 23% | 51% |
| 2 | E. Haaland | Man City | 19 | 2 | 24 | 0.80 | 112 | 92 | 21% | 58% |
| 3 | A. Isak | Newcastle | 17 | 5 | 22 | 0.85 | 106 | 64 | 27% | 50% |
| 3 | C. Wood | Nottm Forest | 17 | 2 | 24 | 0.79 | 113 | 45 | 38% | 60% |
| 5 | C. Palmer | Chelsea | 14 | 6 | 24 | 0.60 | 150 | 85 | 16% | 44% |
| 5 | B. Mbeumo | Brentford | 14 | 3 | 24 | 0.58 | 154 | 49 | 29% | 57% |
| 7 | J. Kluivert | Bournemouth | 11 | 4 | 23 | 0.64 | 140 | 49 | 22% | 51% |
| 7 | Matheus Cunha | Wolves | 11 | 4 | 23 | 0.53 | 171 | 71 | 15% | 41% |
| 7 | Y. Wissa | Brentford | 11 | 2 | 21 | 0.59 | 152 | 50 | 22% | 50% |
Whilst Kluivert’s form will have come as a shock to many, probably not Mourinho, who knew the Dutchman possessed undeniable talent even seven years ago.
Jose Mourinho wanted Justin Kluivert
The Guardian reported that Mourinho wanted to sign Kluivert for Manchester United back in 2018, and apparently, the then-19-year-old wanted a move to Old Trafford.
This was before the Europa League Final in 2018, where United took on Kluivert’s Ajax, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Despite Justin being an unused substitute, after the full-time whistle, Mourinho was spotted chatting to Kluivert on the pitch, which looked to be in a bid to convince him to come to Manchester.
A myth busted by the man himself. Kluivert told FourFourTwo in 2018 what happened in conversation with the Portuguese.
“He said it was nice to see me again after such a long time because he had known me when I was a baby. And he said it was nice to see that I was doing well,” Kluivert stated.
He’s doing even better now in the Premier League. Kluivert is dynamite.
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