Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Bastian Schweinsteiger, Top Rumours
Bastian Schweinsteiger won't leave Manchester United for the New York Red Bulls, according to a top official from the MLS club. It's a blow for Schweinsteiger, who seems set for a move away from European football after falling way down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Red Bulls head of global soccer Oliver Mintzlaff told German publication Bild (h/t Sky Sports): "Bastian Schweinsteiger is a great player with a great career. But there have been no conversations, he isn't and will not be a topic for us."
However, it may not be all doom and gloom for outcast Schweinsteiger. Not with another MLS side showing interest.
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FC Dallas president Dan Hunt has recently expressed his admiration for the veteran midfielder who won the FIFA World Cup with Germany in 2014, per Lee Astley of the Sun: “He is an incredible player. I always admired him and the success that his teams had. That is no coincidence, he is a winner.”
It's a ringing endorsement Schweinsteiger should be pleased to hear. After all, he's previously hinted he'll move away from the continent to find his next club. The 32-year-old already made his intentions clear when he took to social media in late-August to assure United fans the Red Devils would be his last club in European football, per MailOnline's Adam Crafton.
Most assume it will mean Schweinsteiger following the many big names who have swapped the Premier League for Major League Soccer in recent seasons. They include midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
The MLS hasn't been shy about publicly courting Schweinsteiger, with commissioner Don Garber telling German source Kicker (h/t ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld) how he's following Schweinsteiger's situation at United.
It's a situation simple to define, with Jose Mourinho freezing out the experienced playmaker since taking over from Louis van Gaal as United manager in the summer.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News reported Mourinho had even left Schweinsteiger to train with the reserves during pre-season. The move prompted Schweinsteiger's brother Tobi to take to social media (h/t Uche Amako of the Daily Express) and bemoan a lack of respect from the manager
Frankly, Mourinho's decision to consistently omit Schweinsteiger is hardly surprising. The German lacks the energetic and physical style Mourinho usually demands for his robust and grafting counter-attacking teams.
In truth, Schweinsteiger's steady possession play was more suited to the patient build-up that Van Gaal preached. Unfortunately, injuries kept the former Bayern Munich star from proving his worth last season.
Schweinsteiger still has plenty to offer, though. Yet he seems determined to make his next move with one eye on bringing his career to a more serene conclusion.
United Regretting No Sell-On Clause for Michael Keane
United want rid of Schweinsteiger, but the club may wish it still had Michael Keane on the books. If only to arrange a sell-on fee for the player who left United's academy and has since become a star at Burnley.
His performances as the rock at the heart of the Clarets' defence have drawn interest from Chelsea. The Blues are reported to be ready to pay as much as £25 million for Keane, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror.
It's a situation that's left the Red Devils ruing their lack of foresight regarding Keane's original £2.5 million move to Burnley in 2015.
The Sun's Daniel Cutts has quoted an unnamed United insider expressing the worry the Reds missed out not only on a promising player, but also a decent payday: “The club is kicking themselves over it and some people are now keeping their heads down. There is a fear they could be hearing ‘we told you so’ in the near future. He has always been highly-rated by United’s reserve coaches.”
To some, the situation may have echoes of United letting Paul Pogba go in 2012, only to re-sign him for a world-record fee this summer.
However, it's not fair to judge the club after the fact. Accurately gauging both the potential and talent of a young player is tricky business.
One underperforming youth may need a change of scenery before delivering on his promise. It's also not standard practice for club's in England's top flight to attach sell-on or buy-back clauses into young players' contracts the way some of Spain's biggest teams do.
United should only rue letting Keane go on the cheap if their own defence becomes a shambles. Yet it shouldn't happen with Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly developing as a partnership.
Keane was judged not to fit into United's plans, the same way Mourinho has viewed Schweinsteiger since taking over from Van Gaal.
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