Mourinho prepared to lighten Man Utd squad in January

Man Utd: Collymore wants five to leave

Man Utd: Collymore wants five to leave

Jose Mourinho will allow one of two defenders to leave Manchester United in January, according to reports in the Italian press.

The United boss has invested heavily since taking charge at Old Trafford, with two summers of heavy spending seeing the club return to both the Champions League and seemingly back in with a chance of challenge for the Premier League title.

Last January, Mourinho failed to make any additions in January, but did allow Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger all allowed to move on.

And there could be a repeat once again, with Calciomercato claiming United will let either Daley Blind or Matteo Darmian quit the club once the transfer window opens on January 1.

Neither player can be considered regulars in Mourinho’s first-choice XI this season, with Blind having featured eight times and Darmian just three times.

 

READ MORE: Is it too soon to say Man Utd are genuine title challengers?

 

Of the two, however, it is Blind who is attracting most interest, with Galatasaray having made a firm offer for his services.

Should United allow Blind to leave, Mourinho will likely block a departure for Darmian, with a return to Italy widely anticipated.

 

The former Torino man admitted last week that he would be open to a possible return to Serie A when he commented: “I made a choice (to come to Manchester United) and I don’t regret it.

“Of course it’s normal that any player wants to play as much as possible. I work hard every week and I’ll keep doing it.

“I don’t always watch Italian football and I don’t know what will happen in future, maybe there will be a chance to come back one day.”