Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Daley Blind Exit Rumours

Manchester United defender Daley Blind reportedly fears the Red Devils will only trigger a clause to extend his contract so they can sell him during the summer, rather than keep him at Old Trafford on a long-term basis.

According to a report from The Times (h/t Metro), Blind's contract will run out this summer, but the deal includes a clause the club can use to extend him for one season.

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Turkish news outlet Hurriyet (h/t Toby Gannon of The Sun) previously suggested he could be on the move in January, with several Super Lig clubs interested, but these latest reports now say the club want to use their extension before cashing in on the player.

AjaxDaily shared some of the potential suitors mentioned in the report:

"

Manchester United are looking to extend Daley Blind's ending contract until 2019 to ensure the club receives a fee for him this summer. Fenerbahçe and Internazionale are rumored to be interested in signing the former Ajacied.

[via @thesundaytimes] pic.twitter.com/rXw2qaAjFI

— AjaxDaily (@ajaxdailydotcom) November 30, 2017"

Per Metro, the Dutch international has been a fringe player under manager Jose Mourinho, starting just three Premier League fixtures. He has been a regular in the UEFA Champions League, but the Red Devils were handed a relatively easy group in qualifying―he'll likely drop to the bench in the knockout stages.

The 27-year-old was something of a favourite of former manager Louis van Gaal, who used him in a variety of roles. Mourinho has played him as a left-back, where the team is low on quality options and expected to add a star in the near future.

According to The Times, the decision to trigger Blind's clause is to prevent him from negotiating a pre-contract with a foreign club. The defender could negotiate a deal with such a club in January before leaving as a free agent in the summer.

PATRICK HERTZOG/Getty Images

The report doesn't mention how the club intends on forcing a move once the clause has been triggered, however―it said Blind "fears" his United career is over, but he could simply block any transfer by refusing to agree to a contract with the buying club and spend the 2017-18 campaign in Manchester.

Triggering the clause would buy time for the club but accomplish little else, unless Blind wants to leave. If he's eager to stay with the Red Devils for now―as the report suggests―it could prove difficult to convince him to leave at this stage.

That may not be such a bad thing, however. Blind's performances in Europe have been solid, and as a versatile, veteran option with tons of experience, keeping him around as a depth player for one more season would be a wise move.