Manchester United are likely to see some summer exits and the young defender is unlikely to get many chances in the short term.
Following Jose Mourinho’s appointment as manager of Manchester United there has been plenty of chatter as to who could be for the chop in the Portuguese’s first summer at the helm.
Juan Mata has unsurprisingly been mentioned by ESPN while Daley Blind is also being tipped to leave despite his stellar season alongside Chris Smalling. But both players are crucial for United and their new boss is unlikely to weaken them when his task is to do the opposite.
Instead the first player to leave Old Trafford under Mourinho’s guidance could be Tyler Blackett – a defender who looked like being the next big thing but has quickly slipped back into obscurity.
The defender was one of the first youngsters to be given a chance under former boss Louis van Gaal. However his recent disappointing loan spell at Celtic – along with the emergence of the likes of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Timothy Fosu-Mensah – suggests he has a lot of work to do to turn things round.
At 22, Blackett is no longer the young prospect he once was. He is a man who will be seeking regular first-team football and at United he is unlikely to even make the bench next season, while with one year left on his contract now is the time to cash in or risk losing him for free in 12 months.
The problem is he is nowhere near the standard of Borthwick-Jackson or Fosu-Mensah – two players three and four years his junior respectively – while Mourinho will also have Luke Shaw and Phil Jones back from injury next season while new defensive reinforcements are a must.
Young players leave United every year having failed to make the grade, and while some may disagree, it would be no surprise if Blackett was the latest to join the list.
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