Everton lodge bid for United midfielder Schneiderlin – report

Morgan Schneiderlin: Signs for Everton for £22m

Morgan Schneiderlin: Poised for Everton debut

Manchester United are believed to have rejected a bid of £19million from Everton for Morgan Schneiderlin.

According to reports in the Guardian and Telegraph, Ronald Koeman, who worked with the midfielder at Southampton, made an official move for the player when the January transfer window opened.

United though are playing hard ball and want the £24million they paid Southampton for Schneiderlin in July 2015, despite the player’s lack of progress at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old is contracted until June 2019, but he has made only three appearances under Jose Mourinho in the Premier League and is understood to have been told he can move on if the price is right.

West Bromwich Albion are also interested in the player and have reportedly had bids of £13million and £18million rejected, according to the Telegraph and Guardian respectively.

Everton are looking to bolster their squad with Idrissa Gana Gueye having played his final game before the Africa Cup of Nations, while Koeman has also has fitness concerns over James McCarthy.

Mourinho said last week that United will only allow Sam Johnstone to leave on loan and that he had not received a bid considered acceptable for any player.

“Sam Johnstone is the only player that I will allow to go on loan because he doesn’t play one single minute, he needs to play,” Mourinho said.

“We have not received one single offer that we are going to accept. I don’t want to sell players. The club and the board is totally with me but, if a player is not having lots of minutes and really wants to leave, we have no right to stop him if the conditions are our conditions.”