5 players who could be offloaded from Manchester United

Schweinsteiger
Could Schweinsteiger be following Louis van Gaal out of United?

With the recent appointment of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, the Portuguese manager was successful in his bid to get hold of big names like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, former Borussia Dortmund playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan as well as young prospect Eric Bailly from Villarreal.

The transfer business simply doesn't stop here, though. Even after the English side managed to sign quality players, they still look to be hungry for world class signings, most notably with the saga of Paul Pogba making a big money move back to Old Trafford from Juventus.

Also Read: 5 signings Jose Mourinho could make at Manchester United

In order to balance this out, there is expected to be an exodus of unwanted players, as United look to get into fighting shape ahead of the new English Premier League season.


Bastian Schweinsteiger:

Former United gaffer Louis Van Gaal pulled off a major coup as he was successful in securing the services of German International midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger last year. With a reported fee of £6.5million and having signed a three-year contract, he was very highly expected to shine and play a vital role in United's overall season for 2015/2016.

However, things didn't turn out to be the way they were supposed to. The now 31-year-old midfielder only managed to make 18 appearances as he was out on the sidelines with injury for most of the season. So far, Bastian only scored once, equalising with a header in a 1-1 draw against league winners Leicester City.

As a result of such weak performances, United supporters can now expect the player to have a future elsewhere with a number of clubs said to be interested in him. A move looks imminent as Schweinsteiger was even left out from the squad for their pre-season tour to China.

According to Turkish media outlet Fanatik, Besiktas are reportedly interested in the ex-Bayern Munich player after understanding that Jose Mourinho doesn't have him in his plans for the upcoming season. The Turkish side have contacted Manchester United for a possible loan move.

Marcos Rojo:

Rojo
Marcos Rojo hasn’t lived up to his lofty price-tag.

Signed for £16million back in August 2014, Marcos Rojo was a big swoop for United as the player was signed from Sporting Lisbon after his impressive performances at senior level for the Argentinian National side and even helped them to reach the finals of the FIFA World Cup.

2 years down the line, Rojo lost his form, picked up a shoulder injury which kept him out for three months, managing only to return for the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace. Marcos Rojo wouldn't really be able to make it to the starting 11 as Jose Mourinho has better options and would prefer to loan Rojo out as the player costs a high wage.

As per Simon Jones for Daily Mail, Marcos Rojo is wanted by Spanish side Villarreal on a loan deal as Jose Mourinho looks to offload the 26-year-old after the recent acquisition of Eric Bailly from the Yellow Submarines. Villarreal will look to match Rojo's wages as they are at threat of losing their main man Mateo Musacchio to Italian side AC Milan.

With the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and new boy Eric Bailly, Rojo should look for a loan move away from the English giants in order to get some playing time for himself.

Daley Blind:

Daley Blind
It would be unfortunate to see Daley Blind sold after his decent performances in United colours.

The 26-year-old Dutch international had an excellent spell in the 2014 FIFA World Cup as he played under Louis Van Gaal. Starting as a left back, he was signed for a fee of £13.8million after he was lauded for his ability at the international level.

At Old Trafford, Van Gaal opted Blind to play as a centre defensive midfielder or more as of a solid centre back at the heart of the defence. Even after two successful years at United, he looks to be cut off from Mourinho's revolution. With the addition of Luke Shaw back in United's defence, it would be difficult for the Dutch player to make an impact and to assure his new boss of his performances.

Spanish publication Sport claim that Daley Blind will be offered an escape route to football giants Barcelona as they seem to be interested in the versatile player. Barcelona could be on the verge of losing defenders to other clubs and Blind looks in perfect shape to replace them.

However, United will not look to let go of their key player and will only look to sell him if the right offer is made. The front page of Sport read that Luis Enrique is keen to get Blind to Camp Nou for a fee of £14million.

Juan Mata:

Mata
Juan Mata might well be sold by Mourinho yet again.

One of the more gifted players who could leave Old Trafford is Juan Mata. While he is a fan favourite, Mata might have to pack his bags and move out of the English side as Jose Mourinho has now taken over the managerial seat.

Mourinho himself allowed Mata to travel to Manchester and undergo a medical and the transfer was completed by Manchester United paying a then club record fee of £37.1million to Chelsea. Mata has made 104 appearances for United and has managed to score 26 goals, but a guaranteed place is very doubtful as the club now has the services of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mourinho’s opinion of the Spaniard from their days together at Chelsea days.

With a great vision and the ability to assist with his key passes, Mata could be influential for any side looking for a playmaker. Everton are said to be in the race for signing Juan Mata as the new manager of the Toffees, Ronald Koeman has formerly worked with the Spanish winger at their time in Valencia and looks to add him to his new side. Interests from West Ham United and Valencia also have been strongly reported.

As for a surprise published by the Twitter account OurUnitedStory, there's a short clip where Juan Mata straight away quashes rumours stating that he'll be moving away from Manchester United. When asked by a young fan if he'll stay, Mata said : "Don't believe everything that social media and the media says.”

Adnan Januzaj:

Januzaj
Januzaj hasn’t been able to live up to all the hype which surrounded him.

Touted as one of the best young prospects to come out of the Red Devils’ academy, Januzaj looked like a youngster who had a lot of potential with his few impressive matches. Back in the 2013/14 season, he grabbed the headlines by scoring two goals which helped his side to claim a 2-1 victory over Sunderland. After his rise in performances, he was even awarded with a contract extension as well as was nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Adapting well under David Moyes, there was a huge dip in his presence on the pitch since Louis Van Gaal took over and the Belgian was mostly seen to be warming the bench. Due to his young age, the 21-year-old was sent on loan to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund but Adnan couldn't even have an impact there. With 12 games at the Westfalenstadion and just 3 starts, he was recalled only to claim a spot in the reserves.

As claimed by Calcio Mercato Web, Italian side Inter Milan are ready to go for Adnan Januzaj after Roberto Mancini looks to lose out on his preferred targets of Antonio Candreva and Joao Mario. A loan move to the San Siro Stadium could as well be on the cards with chances of the club also to sign the player permanently next year for £5.8million.

Newly promoted side Middlesbrough have been heavily involved in the transfer market and have managed to clinch influential players like former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo and ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

Aitor Karanka will definitely look to strengthen his team in every possible way and Mark Brus for Metro also reports that Middlesbrough are keen to seal a deal for the playmaker. With the ranks of Mkhitaryan and Depay at the wings, it's difficult to see a future at the club for Adnan Januzaj.

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