Manchester United has recently lost ground in the race for the Premier League title to their ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City and are now in need of a January clear-out before adding more players to their squad. Jose Mourinho has seen some of his players struggle to get enough game time, which might be either due to injury or maybe because they just couldn’t cut the mustard at Old Trafford. The Red Devils take on West Bromwich Albion on Sunday looking to close the gap on Manchester City to eleven points at the top of the Premier League table.
Some sources claim that Mourinho is open to parting ways with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Luke Shaw and other fringe members of his squad during the January transfer window.
In a recent press conference ahead of their game against the Baggies, Jose Mourinho said,
“I think every player has a price.
“If a player is not happy, if a player brings with him the request with the number that we consider a good number for us – like it happened for us last season with Memphis and Morgan – I would never say no.”
Let’s take a look at three players who may be deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United, come January:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan:
The Armenian midfielder began the season in scintillating form for United but has recently found his opportunities limited at Old Trafford. He has featured in 17 matches for the Red Devils this season, scoring 2 goals and making 6 assists so far. Although it might be hard for Manchester United fans to see Mkhitaryan leave, it will definitely be the best option for both parties. Jose Mourinho can focus on playing the members of his team that he can trust while the Armenian can go into a new team in search of greener pastures.
Luke Shaw:
The full-back has struggled with injuries all throughout his United career and has just made 8 appearances for the Red Devils this season. There’s no doubt about his ability at left-back but with his recent injury record, Jose Mourinho would most likely be fed up and will be willing to part ways with the England international.
Shaw has made a total of 51 appearances for the Manchester club since his arrival from Southampton in the summer of 2014 and is a decent option for most clubs in England.
Daley Blind:
The Dutch international was one of Jose Mourinho’s most used players last season but the situation has changed since then. Blind has hardly featured for the Red Devils in this campaign, making a total of 12 appearances which has seen him score a goal and make two assists so far.
It is no secret that the player will feel frustrated at the lack of game time but his versatility can be a big asset for any club looking to secure his services.
Manchester United are currently stacked in defence and some of the defenders like Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have hit top-form for the club this season, which has relegated Blind to the bench and might push him out.
