Mourinho: Manchester United will sign a midfielder

London, February 17: Manchester United are looking to sign a midfielder in the off-season as a replacement for Michael Carrick, manager Jose Mourinho revealed.

Veteran Englishman Carrick, 36, will retire at the end of the season before taking up a role on United's coaching staff.

Paul Pogba, whose performances have been scrutinised in recent weeks, arrived in Mourinho's first season in charge, while Nemanja Matic was lured away from Chelsea before the 2017-18 campaign.

And Mourinho reiterated his desire to sign another midfielder to ease the pressure on Pogba amid links with the likes of Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Nice star Jean Michael Seri.

Jose Mourinho commented on the media speculation surrounding Paul Pogba, at his press conference: https://t.co/swnUmD0RrI pic.twitter.com/vQJ78vRNYH

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 16, 2018

"We need to sign a midfield player because we are going to lose Michael Carrick," Mourinho said before Saturday's FA Cup clash at Huddersfield Town.

"Of course, we need balance in the team. I told you that one or two months ago when we were speaking about the market. When some of you keep saying that we are going to buy that striker, that winger, that left winger, that right winger, I told you two months ago.

"You can accuse me of many, many things, but you cannot say that I lied to you. When I don't want to say things, I don't say. But I don't take you in other directions.

"When I told you a couple of months ago that we don't want to sign any striker or any winger and, yes, we are looking and we are going to try to sign a midfield player, I told you that two months ago."

Source: OPTA