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25th Jul 2017

Jose Mourinho has explained why he didn’t try to sign Javier Hernandez for Manchester United

He came at a bargain

Darragh Murphy

Considering the mammoth transfer fees flying everywhere in this particular window, £16 million for a proven goalscorer in Javier Hernandez looks like an absolute steal.

So often reduced to substitute appearances for both Manchester United and Real Madrid in the past, Hernandez has always come up with the goods when given the chance and contributed a solid goals-to-game ratio for Bayer Leverkusen (39 in 76).

Chicharito is back in the Premier League now, having put pen to paper on a move to West Ham this week.

But given the fact that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has always been so complimentary about the Mexico international, it was suggested he might consider bringing Hernandez back to Old Trafford, where he remains a fan favourite.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mourinho was asked whether he had given any thought to entering the race for Hernandez’s signature and he explained why he didn’t even consider it.

“No, because he left the club a few years ago,” Mourinho said. “I’m not sure that it was his decision or the manager’s decision.

“But he’s a good player, he’s a player that will always score goals, he is a player that I would always welcome in my squad because he doesn’t need many minutes on the pitch to score a goal.

“We moved in another direction in a younger player in Lukaku, and we have Rashford that can also be a striker, originally he’s a striker, so we didn’t feel that need.

“But no doubt for West Ham to get a player with his experience and quality is very, very good. “