Jose Mourinho news: Who are his 10 most expensive signings?
Updated: 13 May 2026 04:30 BST |
8 min read
Having managed a number of European heavyweights in a trophy-laden career, it is fair to say Jose Mourinho has worked with several superstars.
From Chelsea and Inter Milan to Real Madrid and Manchester United, the self-proclaimed Special One has often had a wealth of talent at his disposal when pursuing football’s biggest honours.
And history may repeat itself this summer as La Liga giants Real are pressing ahead with plans to potentially bring Mourinho back to the Bernabeu, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
But when analysing all of the star names Mourinho has come into contact with, which of them were players he actually signed?
With that question in mind, FootballTransfers has decided to take a look at the 10 most expensive signings of the Portuguese’s illustrious career.
10. Diego Costa (Chelsea – €36.9m/£32m)
When Mourinho was in his pomp, it felt like he was always able to hit the ground running in his first transfer window at a new club.
And that is exactly what happened in the summer of 2014 when, ahead of a second spell in charge of Chelsea, he was quick to lure Diego Costa away from Atletico Madrid.
And in what proved to be a remarkable first season at Stamford Bridge, the fiery striker scored 21 goals in all competitions as the Blues won the Premier League and League Cup double under Mourinho’s stewardship.
9. Michael Essien (Chelsea – €38m/£32.8m)
“ESSEEEEEEEEEE!”
When you see the name ‘Michael Essien’, your mind immediately recalls Martin Tyler’s famous shriek after the midfielder scored a wonderful goal against Arsenal in December 2006.
Signed in the previous summer transfer window from Lyon, the Ghana legend became a trusted lieutenant in Mourinho’s first stint at Chelsea, making 31 Premier League appearances as the club lifted a second successive title in 2005-06.
8. Didier Drogba (Chelsea, €38.5m/£33.3m)
In perhaps the best signing of Mourinho’s career, he moved heaven and earth in order to bring Didier Drogba to Chelsea, with the striker going on to become one of the greatest players in the club’s history.
Such was Mourinho’s desperation to sign Drogba from Marseille in 2004 that he famously told then-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich – who was unaware of the forward at the time – to just “pay and don’t speak.”
And the rest, as they say, is history as Drogba played a significant role in Chelsea claiming seven trophies across Mourinho’s two spells in charge, scoring winners in the League Cup and FA Cup finals in 2006-07.
7. Tammy Abraham (Roma – €41m/£35.4m)
The most recent signing on this list, Mourinho was also responsible for taking a striker away from Chelsea as he convinced Tammy Abraham to swap west London for Rome in 2021.
Keen to lead the line on a consistent basis after falling out of favour at Chelsea, Abraham flourished under Mourinho’s stewardship in what was a brilliant debut season in Serie A.
The England international scored 27 goals in all competitions as Roma became the first team to win the Conference League, and Mourinho became the first manager to win Europe’s three main club competitions (having also won the Champions League and Europa League twice apiece).
6. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Man Utd – €42m/£36.3m)
After being sacked by Chelsea in December 2015, Mourinho was back in the Premier League just five months later as he succeeded Louis van Gaal in the Manchester United hot seat.
Hoping to lead the Red Devils back to their former glory, Mourinho made a number of big-money signings in the summer of 2016, including the capture of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.
While Mourinho and Mkhitaryan came up short in search of the Premier League title, they still won two trophies together in 2016-17, with United claiming victory in the Europa League and League Cup finals.
5. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea – €43.9m/£37.9m)
Having scored a whopping 173 goals in 296 appearances for Italian giants AC Milan, Andriy Shevchenko was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world in 2006.
However, the Ukraine striker failed to showcase his goalscoring prowess at Chelsea, scoring just four Premier League goals in 30 appearances in 2006-07.
While Shevchenko was signed during Mourinho’s first stint at Chelsea, BBC Sport reported at the time that it was a transfer that was actually imposed upon him by Abramovich.
4. Nemanja Matic (Man Utd – €44.7m/£38.6m)
When looking to bolster United’s midfield ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, Mourinho turned to a familiar face in Nemanja Matic.
Having previously signed the Serbian for Chelsea in January 2014, Mourinho was reunited once again with the powerful midfielder as United looked to build on their Europa League and League Cup triumphs in the previous season.
In fact, Mourinho signed Matic for a third time when in charge of Roma, though there was no cash involved that time.
3. Fred (Man Utd – €59m/£51m)
Despite being linked with a move to United’s arch rivals Manchester City, Fred ended up heading to Old Trafford instead of the Etihad Stadium in 2018.
Having impressed for Paulo Fonseca’s Shakhtar Donetsk, Mourinho decided to splash the cash on the Brazil international, who would go on to form a midfield partnership with Scott McTominay.
However, Fred and Mourinho were only able to work together for six months as the latter was dismissed in December 2018 following a start to the season which had United sitting sixth in the Premier League.
WATCH: @ManUtd new-boy Fred says he is “really happy” to be working with Jose Mourinho as he prepares for what he describes as a must-win match against @SpursOfficiallive on @SkySportsMNF. ⚽📺
Read the full exclusive interview here: https://t.co/t8SBxUCuPQ pic.twitter.com/l1IYQva3Ay
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 24, 2018
2. Romelu Lukaku (Man Utd – €84.7m/£75m)
In the same summer that saw United sign Matic and Victor Lindelof for sizeable fees, the club also backed Mourinho with the capture of Romelu Lukaku in July 2017.
The 20-time league champions were able to see off competition from Antonio Conte’s Chelsea for the Belgian, who had established himself as one of the Premier League’s best strikers at Everton.
However, while Lukaku scored 27 goals in all competitions in 2017-18, he and Mourinho ended up trophyless that season as United lost the FA Cup final and finished second in the league.
1. Paul Pogba (Man Utd – €105m/£90.8m)
In the most expensive transfer of Mourinho’s career to date, United brought Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford for a then world-record fee in August 2016.
Frustrated at a lack of opportunities after emerging through United’s youth system, the Frenchman joined Juventus in 2012 and went on to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
While Pogba may have lost that status at United, he did however win the Europa League and League Cup under Mourinho’s tutelage, scoring nine goals in 51 appearances in 2016-17.
Related stories:
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Jose Mourinho closing in on Real Madrid return: ‘He’s already in the dressing room’
Transfer Rumours: Chelsea learn Cole Palmer decision as Man Utd ‘push’ for signing
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Matthew Judge is a freelance sports writer from Liverpool, United Kingdom. He has worked for/had words published by Everton Football Club, The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stats Perform, Goal, and Squawka, among others.
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