Manchester United’s transfer business has taken a much more measured pace this month. After the purchases of FC Porto’s Diogo Dalot, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred and Stoke City’s Lee Grant, rumours of interest in various centre back targets have swirled, with Jose Mourinho known to want to add to the plethora of options that he currently has. Toby Alderweireld and Leonardo Bonucci have both been put forward as targets, but little has happened in the last several weeks to suggest that United are close to sealing a deal to bring either to Old Trafford.
Progress has been made in other areas, at least, with the BBC reporting that Daley Blind is set to return home to Holland after four years at the club in a deal that is set to be complete in the next 48-hours. Blind, who left boyhood club Ajax after 2014’s World Cup and was brought to United by Louis van Gaal, is expected to rejoin the Eredivisie club imminently, with a reported fee of £14m rising to £18.5m agreed between the two sides.
The 28-year old established himself as one of Van Gaal’s go-to men during his second season in charge at United, and was frequently used as a central defender, but Blind has also had spells in central midfield and left back over the course of his time at the club. Games have been hard to come by since Jose Mourinho took over the side in 2016, however, with the Portuguese preferring Ashley Young at left back and frequently preferring not to utilise Blind in either the centre of defence or midfield. As such, a permanent deal to take the player back to Holland makes sense, with first-team football an issue for the Dutch international last season.
United have gotten some good use out of Blind, and his willingness to adapt and contribute in every position that he’s asked to perform in has been useful over the last four years.
