Guillermo Varela and Tyler Blackett are set to be leave Old Trafford as new manager Jose Mourinho looks to shape his United squad.

Manchester United are planning a summer clear-out of players deemed surplus to requirements by Jose Mourinho and the defensive duo seem to be the first ones on the chopping block. Sky Sports have reported that their sources have revealed that the two youngsters are set for transfers away from United. The speculation has been further fueled by the fact that neither of the players are part of the present first-team training sessions.

The possible transfers of the youngsters is not an indication of Mourinho’s plans for the youth in general as the report suggests that the Portugese is keen to promote youth. Promotion of youngsters is a thing of legacy for the Old Trafford outfit and Jose looks to continue the trend set by former legendary managers.

Varela has found it hard to establish himself after the move and his career seems to have stalled at Old Trafford.
Varela has found it hard to establish himself after the move and his career seems to have stalled at Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea manager has reportedly identified centre-back Axel Tuanzebe and versatile player Timothy Fosu Mensah to play a stronger role in the first-team squad. The identified players are like-for-like replacements for the two players reportedly set to move away after breaking into the first-team last season.

Fosu-Mensah broke into the first team last season making 8 league appearances for the senior side and impressed the fans and pundits alike with his ability to adapt into different positions. The former Ajax player can play across the back four as well as a defensive midfielder but it is believed that Mourinho intends to focus on his development as a right-back.

Axel Tuanzebe, on the other hand, is a Congo-born central defender who was raised in Rochdale, England. The player is yet to make his full first-team debut despite being a key player for the U21 side. Tuanzebe has been identified by the coaches as a leader and had captained the U18 side in his first-year with the club.

Guillermo Varela has spent a year on loan to Real Madrid’s B side Castilla after being signed by United for a fee close to €2.8m and impressed many in his 33 league appearances for the side. The experience and form gathered at Castilla didn’t help the Uruguayan as the right-back was restricted to just 11 appearances in all competitions under Van Gaal last season.

The player has been at United since the age of 8 but has found himself struggling to make his mark in the first-team.
The player has been at United since the age of 8 but has found himself struggling to make his mark in the first-team.

Meanwhile, Tyler Blackett has been with the club from the age of eight and rose up through the famous United academy. The 22-year-old was handed his competitive debut for Manchester United in the 2014-15 and made a total of 12 Premier league appearances for the Red Devils in the season. But, the England U-21 international has largely found himself out on loans with the last one being a season long loan to Scottish champions Celtic.

The writing seems to be on the wall for Varela and Blackett as the duo are not part of the ongoing first-team training sessions. The two were marked as promising youngsters by the United staff but at the respective ages of 23 and 22, it can be safely suggested that both have failed to live up to their early promise thus far.

The talent, though, is there for all to see and with regular first-team football, the two may yet have solid careers in the footballing world. For now, though it seems the careers will have to be shaped elsewhere as Jose Mourinho looks to trim his squad.

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