Sunday 14 January 2018 18:01, UK
Manchester United would ditch their plan to only make summer signings if a "fantastic opportunity" came along, says Jose Mourinho.
Alexis Sanchez could leave Arsenal within 48 hours, Arsene Wenger said on Sunday, with United confident of beating rivals Manchester City to his signature, according to Sky sources.
It is understood City have baulked at the £35m asking price for Sanchez.
Mourinho had said it was unlikely Manchester United would make any signings mid-season, but he has now admitted the club could be persuaded to break their transfer policy for a special player in the winter window.
"Our squad was not [built] to have new players in January," said Mourinho, whose United side have returned from a warm-weather camp in Dubai for Monday night's game against Stoke, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
"We build a squad with this idea, with this philosophy that I share with Mr [Ed] Woodward and the owners.
"Normally the investment is to be made in the summer. The balance of the squad is made in the summer.
"But sometimes, it [a transfer] can happen. Okay, if on the table is a fantastic opportunity, you fight for that fantastic opportunity. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But I like my squad and I like my players.
"I think normally next summer we will try again to improve our squad in the different departments and try to make every department stronger. That's the normal situation with us.
"If in the winter market you do something, you have to do something that stops you to do it again in the summer. So you are not going to buy a goalkeeper now and buy another goalkeeper in the summer. So if you decide to improve the goalkeeper group now, you are not going to improve it again in the summer.
"Let's say in the summer we have three targets - a defender, a midfielder and an attacking player - if in the winter you do one of the three, then in the summer you are going to do three minus one."
