Jose Mourinho ready to axe at least eight Manchester United players over the next two transfer windows
Jose Mourinho wants to axe a minimum of eight players over the next two transfer windows as the constant transition in Manchester United’s squad shows no signs of slowing.
United suffered their fifth defeat in 17 matches under Mourinho last night when they were beaten 2-1 by Fenerbahce in Istanbul to leave the club with an uphill battle to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages.
United – who are seven points adrift of fourth place in the Premier
League - face Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday having won
just one of their past seven league games. They have failed to score in
their past three league fixtures.
United suffered their fifth defeat in 17 matches under Mourinho last night when they were beaten 2-1 by Fenerbahce in Istanbul to leave the club with an uphill battle to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages.
Mourinho – who has now lost 18
of his past 42 matches as a manager dating back to his time at Chelsea -
reacted to his team’s latest set-back by accusing his players of not
being “mentally prepared”, “not focused”, “not concentrated” and of
treating the game like a pre-season friendly.
Mourinho believes he has taken on
a bigger job at Old Trafford than he originally thought and is ready to
make extensive changes to the squad next year. If there is a
possibility of doing business in the January transfer window, both in
terms of incomings and outgoings, the Portuguese will do so, although
the bulk of United’s activity will take place next summer.
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes claimed after the Fenerbahce result that United’s team “in two years will be unrecognisable from what it is now”
and Mourinho has plans to reshape a squad that has already undergone
extensive overhaul in the past three years. A total of 55 players have
come or gone in the seven transfer windows since Sir Alex Ferguson
retired in May 2013 and more churn is on the horizon.
Defenders Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian and Phil Jones will be allowed to leave as will midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Michael Carrick, who is the only senior player out of contract next summer, discounting striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has the option to extend his one-year deal by another 12 months. Wingers Memphis Depay and Ashley Young are also surplus to requirements.
Defenders Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian and Phil Jones will be allowed to leave as will midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Michael Carrick, who is the only senior player out of contract next summer, discounting striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has the option to extend his one-year deal by another 12 months. Wingers Memphis Depay and Ashley Young are also surplus to requirements.
Fenerbahce v Man Utd: Key match stats
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Schweinsteiger is expected to
leave in January, despite Mourinho ending his two-month exile this week
by allowing him to train with the first team squad again, and Darmian,
who is interesting Inter Milan, could also go. Depay may leave on loan
in the winter window.
Mourinho has concerns over other members of his squad, too, but accepts there will be a limit to the number of players he can move on and sign in any one transfer window. Marouane Fellaini will enter the final 12 months of his contract next summer, as will captain Wayne Rooney, whom Mourinho has insisted remains part of his plans. There is an option on Rooney’s contract that would enable either the player or United to extend the deal until June 2019 but that seems unlikely to happen.
Mourinho has concerns over other members of his squad, too, but accepts there will be a limit to the number of players he can move on and sign in any one transfer window. Marouane Fellaini will enter the final 12 months of his contract next summer, as will captain Wayne Rooney, whom Mourinho has insisted remains part of his plans. There is an option on Rooney’s contract that would enable either the player or United to extend the deal until June 2019 but that seems unlikely to happen.
Mourinho spent £145.7 million in the summer on Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba, who cost a world record £89 million from Juventus, and offloaded six players, defenders Paddy McNair, Tyler Blackett and Donald Love, goalkeeper Victor Valdes and forwards Nick Powell and Will Keane. There had been 28 senior departures in the previous six windows and 17 arrivals.
“It’s been quite a painful three years.” Scholes said on BT Sport. “And I think the next 18 months to two years could be very similar until this manager has three or four transfer windows to really get a team that he wants.”
