13 Potential Old Trafford Summer Exits 29 May 2017 12:22

A look at the current Manchester United players who may well have worn the shirt for the last time.

By Philip Meese, Chief Editor

The summer transfer window is almost upon us, and although it officially opens on July 1^st, clubs from all over Europe are already setting the wheels in motion. Manchester United are no exception to this, and José Mourinho reportedly handed Ed Woodward his list of transfer targets back in March.

As new players come in, it’s only natural that others will depart. Below are several players who may have kicked their last ball for United. Some of these are obvious, and some maybe not so much.

Adnan Januzaj

The Belgian international has seen a steady career decline since his breakthrough campaign under David Moyes. His time under Louis van Gaal was not a success, and he barely featured under the Dutchman, before being shipped off to Borussia Dortmund. It was a very unproductive spell in Germany, with serious questions about his attitude and commitment being raised.

When Mourinho took over last summer, he made it clear that Januzaj was not part of his immediate plans. A loan move to Sunderland, under his former manager Moyes, would enable United scouts to monitor how he did on a weekly basis at Premier League level. The reports were not overwhelming, despite the fact that he suffered an injury that kept him out for some time. Sunderland finished bottom of the table, with Januzaj scoring just twice.

With the money that Manchester United are likely to spend over the summer, it is hard to imagine that Mourinho, who once stated what a talent he is, will have any use for him. It would be quite surprising if he was to feature for the Red Devils again. An article I wrote back in August stated that the Sunderland loan could make or break his career. Whether it has broken it remains to be seen, but it certainly hasn’t seemed to benefit Januzaj.

Guillermo Varela

The Uruguayan full-back was David Moyes’ first ever signing for United, and enjoyed a good run in the team under his successor van Gaal. Mourinho loaned him to Eintracht Frankfurt almost immediately after taking over the Old Trafford hotseat, to give him a chance to play weekly. He has only featured ten times for the German outfit, partly due to an injury picked up not long afterwards.

The main issue, which will not have impressed Mourinho, is discipline. Having fought his way back into first team contention, he was due to play in the DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund. Varela defied club instructions, and got a tattoo shortly before the final. The tattoo became infected, leaving Varela unable to train, and as a result, he was suspended by the club.

Frankurt have stated they will not be attempting to extend his loan spell. With United seemingly not short of options at right back, Varela’s preferred position, it is hard to imagine him finding himself selected by Mourinho anytime soon.

James Wilson

The academy nurtured striker made an instant impact, scoring twice on his debut against Hull City in 2014. In truth the game was a dead rubber, with United consigned to a seventh place finish, but it was a promising start. Since then, however, Wilson has had a frustrating time at Old Trafford, scoring just two further goals in van Gaal’s first season.

Wilson hasn’t featured for the Red Devils in almost two years, having been loaned out in successive seasons, to Brighton and Derby respectively. The latter of these was cut short by a knee injury which finished his season. Wilson is contracted to the club until 2019, but it would be surprising if he wasn’t playing somewhere else long before then.

David de Gea

It is still unclear exactly where the Spanish keeper will be playing next season, with Real Madrid apparently waiting in the wings. Rumour has it that United are actually quite confident that they won’t need a dodgy fax machine to keep de Gea at Old Trafford, and are preparing a bumper contract offer to keep him.

As superbly as his back-up, Sergio Romero, has played this season, de Gea is one of the world’s best goalkeepers. Keeping him at United would make a statement that they intend to be winning football’s top prizes once more. That said, the fact that they are scouring Europe for a potential replacement shows that a move to the Bernabéu is still very much a possibility. This one could go either way.

Chris Smalling

The fact that Mourinho has been actively searching for a centre-back for months seems to indicate that he is not completely convinced by some of the options he already has in that position. Chris Smalling is one of the players whose commitment was publicly criticised by his manager earlier this season.

Smalling was touted as being a potential successor to Rio Ferdinand earlier in his career, but it is quite clear that he is not in the same class. Had Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo been available for the Europa League final, it seems unlikely that Smalling would have started the game. With that in mind, any further additions at the back would seemingly push him further down the list. With Smalling still very much a part of the England setup, this would surely mean he would have to consider his future at club level, and may lead to his exit from Old Trafford.

Phil Jones

Another player whose Old Trafford future could be heavily affected by Mourinho’s summer transfer dealings. The fact that Jones was on the bench in Stockholm could be down to one of two reasons. It could be that the manager rates Smalling slightly ahead of Jones. The other possibility is that Smalling made a quicker recovery from the injuries that they suffered at pretty much the same time.

Like Smalling, Jones is another player who has yet to live up to his obvious potential. While being touted as the “new Duncan Edwards” was quite a cross to bear, Jones’ biggest problem is that he can never stay fit long enough to develop. It seems likely that at least one centre-back will depart Old Trafford this summer, and as Jones is the most injury prone, he might be the one to leave.

Luke Shaw

Despite his obvious potential, Shaw has not yet come close to justifying the £27 million United invested in him in 2014. An inconsistent and injury-hit first season was followed by a horrific double leg break in his second. At that time, he had been United’s best player in the first month of the 2015-16 season, and the injury ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Since Mourinho took over, Shaw has been in and out of the team. Both his fitness and commitment have been openly questioned by his manager. Just as it seemed he was starting to turn a corner, he received an injury against Swansea that ruled him out for the rest of the season. There is still a lot of potential in Luke Shaw, but whether Mourinho has the patience for it to develop is another matter. He may well wash his hands of the player completely, and add a new left back to his summer shopping list.

Ashley Young

A reliable servant down the years, whoever the manager has been, he has always knuckled down and done whatever is asked of him. Despite the fact that he will be 32 this summer, he doesn’t appear to be slowing down with age, and has kept himself in prime physical condition.

Mourinho would probably prefer to keep Ashley Young, but the player himself will no doubt be considering his options. He has one year left on his contract, and only played 23 times last season, in a variety of positions, before his season was finished through injury. Further additions, no doubt expensive ones at that, mean that his chances are likely to be just as limited, if not more so, next season. With a full set of domestic medals in his collection, as well as a European one, he may fancy a move in order to secure more regular first team football next season.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

A player who impressed during van Gaal’s final season, but was sent on loan under Mourinho, to Wolves. The move didn’t work out, with his attitude questioned by manager Paul Lambert. As a result, Borthwick-Jackson only played seven times for the Midlands club, and returned to United to play for their reserve sides on at least two occasions.

It is a strange case, as United have struggled for numbers in defence several times this season. Even stranger is that one of Mourinho’s first acts as United manager was to tie the young left back to a new contract, before sending him on loan. He may be given the option to wipe the slate clean when he returns for pre-season, given how promising he looked under van Gaal. But Mourinho might point to the fact that he couldn’t get a game in a struggling Championship club, let alone one in the Champions League.

Matteo Darmian

After his performance in the Europa League final, the Italian full-back may have earned a reprieve in Mourinho’s eyes. Rewind back to a few months ago, however, and it seemed that Darmian was definitely on his way out of Old Trafford, with Inter reportedly waiting in the wings.

The main issue is that, although he can play on either side, Antonio Valencia’s form at right back means that he is unlikely to dislodge the Ecuadorian anytime soon. This would mean that left back, not his favoured position, would be his best hope of first team football. If United sign a player for that position, or Luke Shaw stays and begins to fulfil his potential, Darmian is likely to return to the role of squad player once more. Having only played once for Italy in 2017, and with next year’s World Cup on the horizon, it might suit Darmian’s purpose to move on.

Wayne Rooney

The all-time leading goalscorer for both United and England has always made front and back page news throughout his career. Every move he makes is scrutinised, even more so since becoming captain of both club and country. In recent months, the media focus regarding Wayne Rooney is regarding where he will be playing next season.

Although he is a player Mourinho has admired throughout his long career, by the time the Portuguese manager arrived at Old Trafford, Rooney was well past his peak. This season, even when he has been fit, he has been nothing like a first choice. This was highlighted by the fact that he was given a sentimental five minute cameo against Ajax, and was recently dropped from Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Rooney has recently said he has made up his mind about where he will be next season. Given that he is the type of character that always wants to be playing, it would be surprising if he ever kicks a ball for United again, except for maybe Michael Carrick’s testimonial.

 

Anthony Martial

After an explosive first season at Old Trafford, Anthony Martial had a muted second term by comparison. Although there were flashes of the player that had dazzled under van Gaal, they were all too rare, leading Mourinho to drop the player regularly. At times, the French forward seemed disinterested, which made him unreliable in Mourinho’s eyes.

It’s possible that the turmoil in his private life, such as the break-up of his marriage, has affected his form. Many fans believe, however, that he was merely angling for a move away. It would be a shame if his obvious potential was fulfilled elsewhere. The fact that he was not a Mourinho signing, however, points to the very real possibility of his exit this summer.

Zlatan Ibrahimovi?

The Swedish superstar became an instant hit with the Old Trafford faithful, scoring four times in his first three games, and finishing as the club’s top scorer, despite missing the last month of the season through injury.

It is unlikely that Ibrahimovi? will play again this calendar year, but his agent has said that he believes his client has two years left at the top. With his contract set to expire, and Mourinho seemingly willing to spend millions to bolster his attacking options, it seems very likely that he won’t be wearing the red of United next season.