What happened to the three players Jose Mourinho said ‘sad’ Man Utd should never have sold
JOSE MOURINHO was sad to miss out on the chance to manage three stars when he became the Manchester United manager.
The 61-year-old spent two and a half seasons in charge of United after taking over from Louis van Gaal in 2016.
And although he managed to win a League Cup and Europa League double in his first season in charge, Mourinho wasn’t best pleased with the squad he had inherited from Van Gaal.
Speaking to the BBC back in 2017, he said: “I think I found a sad club.
“Manchester United sold players that I would never sell and bought players that I would never buy.”
And when pressed to name those players that were sold before his arrival, he said: “I would never have sold [Angel] Di Maria, Chicharito [Javier Hernandez], Danny Welbeck – never, no chance.”
Here SunSport take a look at where those three stars are now and if Mourinho was right to call for them to stay put at Old Trafford.
Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria arrived at the Theatre of Dreams with the weight of the world on his shoulders after agreeing a blockbuster £60m deal from Real Madrid.
He lasted just ONE season in Manchester where he made 32 appearances scoring four goals and registering 12 assists.
Di Maria was sold for a £15m loss and went on to have a glittering spell at PSG.
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The 36-year-old won five league titles and four French cups for the Parisians before moving to Juventus in 2022.
Perhaps the most impressive thing on the tricky winger’s CV since his exit from Man Utd is his World Cup winner’s medal with Argentina – bagging a goal and an assist in the final.
Di Maria now plies his trade back with his first ever professional club Benfica as he heads into the twilight of his career.
Chicharito
Javier Hernandez, otherwise known as Chicharito, burst onto the scene at Man Utd in 2010 and went on to win two Premier League titles with the Red Devils.
But after struggling for consistent game-time he headed out on a flurry of moves that saw him play for some top clubs.
The Mexican striker was loaned to Real Madrid in 2014 before making a permanent exit from United the following season to join Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
He later went on to have short spells with both West Ham and Sevilla, but seemed his most settled during his time in the US.
Chicharito’s joined MLS outfit LA Galaxy where he spent four years scoring 39 goals in 83 appearances.
Now 35 years old, he has returned to his home country to re-join boyhood club Chivas in Liga MX
Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck looked like he was going to be the next big thing at Man Utd, but it wasn’t to be.
He was snapped up by Arsene Wenger and moved to rivals Arsenal where he made 126 appearances and won two FA Cups.
Ultimately he struggled with injuries and consistent form for the Gunners and was moved on to Watford in 2019.
One season with The Hornets was enough to see him earn a move to Brighton where he still plies his trade today.
The 33-year-old is an important squad player for Roberto Di Zerbi on the south coast and has scored three goals in his 17 Premier League appearances this season.
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