Morgan Schneiderlin to leave Manchester United: Midfielder close to exit after club accept bid

Manchester United are going to be a man light soon, after the club accepted a bid from Everton for their midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

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The France international had told the club he wants to leave in January, after failing to get enough opportunities under Jose Mourinho, and the Manchester United manager, following a 2-0 EFL Cup semifinal first leg win over Hull City, confirmed a move was close to being completed.

"I have no details, but before the match, I was informed by Mr Woodward (Ed Woodward, the Manchester United executive vice chairman) that the situation is close, so Morgan is more than probably going to Everton," Mourinho said.

Manchester United have reportedly accepted a £22million bid from Everton, with that price potentially rising to £24m, depending on how well he does at Goodison Park. United had, earlier, rejected a £19m offer from Everton, telling the fellow Premier League club they were looking for a fee closer to the £24m they paid Southampton. West Brom also saw an £18m bid rejected, before Everton came into the picture.

Schneiderlin made a move from the Saints to Manchester United in the summer of 2015, but he never really established himself in the starting XI. Under Louis Van Gaal, Schneiderlin was far from the first name on the manager's team sheet and it only got worse when Mourinho took over.

So, Mourinho understands why Schneiderlin wanted to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window, with the 27 year old now set to be reunited with Ronaldo Koeman.

"I'm sad and I'm happy," Mourinho added. "I'm sad because I like him and he could be an option for us in a long season. I'm happy because this is what he wants, he wants to play every game and wants to be an important player in the team.

"If this is what he wants I'm happy for a very good professional and someone that I can only say good things about."

It will be interesting to see if Manchester United bring in a player to replace Schneiderlin in the squad. Lassana Diarra has been linked with a move, while there is also interest in Ivan Rakitic, although the latter is likely to be more involved in the starting XI, if he does sign from Barcelona.