According to reports, neither Daley Blind nor Juan Mata will form part of Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho’s plans next season.
Having been on a guided tour around the club’s training ground on Monday, the Portuguese tactician will begin planning his assault on the Premier League and in Europe next season in the coming weeks.
That will naturally involve work in the transfer market, and he could decide to start by offloading individuals that he doesn’t believe will fit in with his plans.
As reported by Sky Sports, both Blind and Mata are likely to be high-profile casualties of Mourinho’s arrival at United, with the 53-year-old ready to give the green light to their sales if acceptable bids come in for them.
It won’t be the first time that Mourinho has opted to snub Mata, with the Spaniard being sold by his former boss to United for £33.5m while he was in charge of Chelsea.
Having been widely reported at the time that it was down to Mourinho’s belief that Mata wasn’t tactically right for his system and lacked the work-rate and pace required, it’s unlikely that his opinion will have changed since.
In turn, the more surprising snub will be that of Blind, with the Dutchman forming an important part of United’s plans last season under Louis van Gaal.
Despite keeping a respectable defensive record along with the likes of David de Gea and Chris Smalling, it is claimed by Sky that he doesn’t fit the profile of the central defender that Mourinho desires, namely a physical presence with strength and pace to lead from the back.
Although there is an argument to suggest that the Dutchman’s versatility and quality on the ball could make him an important squad member, it doesn’t appear as though it will be enough to save his Old Trafford career.
Mourinho is expected to make big changes this summer, and not all of them will be popular. Nevertheless, based on his record at previous clubs, it’s likely that he’ll have the full trust of the club and the supporters ahead of next season as he looks to build a side capable of getting back to the top.