Mourinho believes United are still two players short of having the squad to challenge for the title, and was tight-lipped when asked if he would be confident of a title challenge with his current group of players.
“I don’t answer to your question,” was Mourinho’s curt reply when asked if the current squad was good enough to make a title push next season.
Asked how many new signings he would like, Mourinho said: “I would get two more players. One thing is what I would like. Another thing is what is going to happen.”
Mourinho is clearly irked that United have so far only made three signings – Fred, Diogo Dalot and reserve keeper Lee Grant – while rivals like Liverpool are spending big in a bid to close the gap on champions Manchester City.
United finished second in the title race last season, trailing City by 19 points, with Mourinho of the mind his squad needs even more investment before transfer deadline day on August 9.
Rival clubs doing well
Mourinho is also without nine first-team players for United’s US tour, with a core of established stars on extended breaks following the World Cup, a situation he fears could handicap his side at the start of the season.
“If you look to the players that Chelsea and Liverpool have in the pre-season, especially these two teams, also Arsenal, if you compare, you see the difference of the situation,” said Mourinho.
“Manchester City and Tottenham are in a similar situation as we are, but you can see that some other clubs are in a difficult situation.
“Our first match of the season is against Leicester and the second one is against Brighton and, if I look to Leicester, if I’m not wrong, only Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy were in the World Cup in the final phase, because Kasper Schmeichel was back sooner.
“So I think a team working for six weeks minimum, with all the players except one defender and one striker, that can join in the last weekend and probably be available, is clear it’s a much better situation for them.
“When I look to Brighton, I don’t think they have any player that isn’t doing a very good pre-season with lots of training and matches.
“So against Leicester and Brighton, the situation is not amazing for us, I would say the third match – against Tottenham – playing against a team in a similar situation as us, after three weeks is okay.
“It’s almost like you need a pre-season with them, but for the first two matches we have to fight for the points, so that’s what we are going to do with the players available.”
Mourinho not happy
Asked if he felt he was getting everything he wanted out of United’s US tour, which continues tonight against AC Milan in Los Angeles, Mourinho said: “No.
“I got the facilities as always, I got the incredible commitment of the people that is involved in the process of preparing a good pre-season, and I’m happy with the matches, the evolution of the matches.
“But I don’t have the players to work, I don’t have the majority of the players that are going to be in the squad on August 9 when the market closes and we can make the squad official for the season, so of course I’m not happy to have just a few players.”
Mourinho on Rojo
On whether defender Marcos Rojo will join up with the squad, after more than three weeks off post-World Cup, Mourinho said: “I don’t know. He’s with the medical department, in contact since the World Cup, where he ended the World Cup with some physical problems.
“The medical department has to make a decision if he joins us here or if he goes to Manchester for recovery and wait for the team to be back.”