With Jose Mourinho confirming that Morgan Schneiderlin is set to move out of Old Trafford, several clubs have been put on alert to bring in the quality French midfielder. Having played a big role in his first season under Louis van Gaal, the former Southampton midfielder has seen himself almost completely overlooked under the new management this season making only 3 of his 32 total league appearances for United.
This has had an impact on his international career as well, as he has not made a single appearance for France in 2016 as opposed to 8 in 2015. It is no wonder then that he has discussed seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Here’s a look at the likely destinations for the midfielder to ply his trade more regularly.
#5 AC Milan
With both Milanese giants linked to Schneiderlin, AC Milan who currently sit just 3 points above their neighbours in Serie A are more likely to pursue his signature in the winter transfer window. Juraj Kucka and Manuel Locatelli have been steady performers in the three-man midfield, with the third position yet to be made their own by anyone in the squad.
With Bonaventura enjoying the opportunities to play further forward and Mario Pasalic lacking experience, the Rossoneri might choose to dip into the transfer market.
Given the wealth of experience that Schneiderlin brings, and the first team opportunities that are likely to come his way in the Milan set-up, this certainly seems more credible a move than the one to Inter.
#4 Southampton
As they showed with their latest performance against Bournemouth, Southampton can be very impressive in full stride. In spite of a shaky, uncertain start to the season, they find themselves at the top of the heap of clubs chasing the six that might have considered themselves genuine title contenders at the beginning of the season.
At the bottom of that list of six lie Manchester United, who have blown hot and cold this season themselves but are unlikely to view Southampton as direct competition.
This is a golden opportunity for Claude Puel to bring in a consistent performer for the Saints who was part of the team that secured consecutive promotions to make it to the Premier League. Being French himself, he would be quite aware of the qualities Schneiderlin brings to the pitch and might just convince his board that he could be the solution to their inconsistencies in a midfield currently marshalled by Oriol Romeu.
#3 Inter Milan
It is widely expected that Geoffrey Kondogbia will be on his way out of the Serie A sooner or later, with Liverpool said to be interested in adding him to their impressive list of options. Inter in turn have been rumoured to be interested in replacing one Frenchman with another, having approached Manchester United informally to enquire about Schneiderlin earlier in the season.
However with Joao Mario, Ever Banega and Mario Brozovic forming a fairly consistent midfield trio in De Boer’s 4-3-3 formation, Schneiderlin might find himself on the fringes again. The club might be interested, but the player might want to find first team opportunities.
#2 Everton
Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, managed Schneiderlin at Southampton in the season of 2014-15 before reluctantly selling the player to the Red Devils, and would be eager to be able to call on him again. Having made an excellent start to the season under his stewardship, Everton have tailed away after their first 8 games, putting in a fair few uninspired performances.
Koeman will be hoping to freshen things up with the addition of the midfielder who scored a career-best 5 season goals under his leadership at St. Mary’s, earning him his move to Manchester United in the following summer.
While Idrissa Gueye has been putting in some impressive shifts, Ross Barkley has failed to recapture the magic of previous seasons under the new coach. Yet, Koeman will have an eye on the fact that the defensive midfield role that Schneiderlin revels in is currently in the hands of Gareth Barry who is 35 years old.
With Tom Cleverley and James McCarthy’s roles very limited this season, a swoop for the French midfielder might be on the cards both to rekindle this season and fit their long term plans.
#1 West Bromwich Albion
The most concrete transfer speculation thus far sees Schneiderlin headed to The Hawthorns with Tony Pulis confirming his side have made a bid. It is, however, one of five bids they’ve made and any deal could depend on how the other bids work out for the Baggies.
Pulis’ side have been impressive lately, with Darren Fletcher and Claudio Yacob forming a consistent defensive midfield pairing that is likely to see their side to a fairly comfortable mid-table position. If Schneiderlin does arrive, he is likely to be seen as an improvement on the existing pairing or at least as someone to share the burden with an aging Fletcher as the fixtures begin to quicken.
