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Manchester United have had an excellent start to the 2016-2017 season, following the victory against Leicester City in the community shield, the Red Devils have gone on to win three back-to-back matches in the Premier League. After Louis Van Gaal’s disappointing tenure at Old Trafford, the board decided to bring in Jose Mourinho in order to stop the slide. The Portuguese has been very successful this summer, in terms of strengthening his squad. He has brought in stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and youngster Eric Bailly. However, with every arrival, there are some departures. Players are pushed out in order to make space for the incoming players.
In that respect, United have struggled a bit this transfer window. When Mourinho took charge there were reports of at least 9 players that would head through the exit door before the August 31st deadline. But that’s not what happened, yes some youngsters did leave on loan or on a permanent basis but not many senior squad players left. Therefore we have made a list of three players who Mourinho should have sent on loan but failed to do so.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Jose Mourinho made it clear early in this summer that it is unlikely that Schweinsteiger will be part of his plans for the 2016-17 season. There were some reports linking him with a move back to Germany, however, deadline day came and went but the former Bayern Munich player stayed put at Old Trafford. The 32-year-old was included in the United’s Premier League squad but was left out of the Europa League squad. It is unlikely that Schweinsteiger will get a lot of playing time this season, therefore it would have been wise to allow him to leave on loan.
Ashley Young
Young was one of the few consistent performers during the reign of LVG, who used him mostly as an emergency left-back. However, with Shaw returning to full fitness, it is unlikely that the England international will get much game time this season. Even on the left wing, there is already massive competition between Rashford and Depay to overtake Martial in the starting XI, therefore it is extremely difficult for Young to cement his place in the side. The 31-year-old is highly talented, which is why he wouldn’t have had a shortage of takers but the transfer window is shut now. He will be better off maintaining his fitness levels and performing when and if given a chance.
Phil Jones
At one point, he rated as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, Phil Jones has seen stocks dip sharply following a string of injuries. He did make 10 appearances for the club last season but overall it was a fairly disappointing year for him. There were reports linking with a host of clubs in the English top flight but nothing seemed to work out. With Bailly and Blind settled in the starting XI and Smalling ready to take their spot, it is unlikely that Jones will see much action this season, even with United’s participation in the Europa League.
