Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is a transfer target for Santos after the club’s manager confirmed their interest.
The former German international has yet to feature for a single minute so far this season, with Jose Mourinho opting to snub him since his arrival at Old Trafford this past summer.
In turn, speculation has constantly linked Schweinsteiger with an exit and it appears as though he could be offered an unexpected route out of Manchester.
“My idea, and I’ve tried to convince the board of Santos, is that the Santos need a player with worldwide recognition and we’ve been looking at names at European clubs who are suddenly not are being used and who could fit this profile,” Santos coach Dorival Junior told UOL Esporte.
“[Bastian Schweinsteiger] fits this profile.”
It’s unclear at this stage as to whether a move to Brazil would interest Schweinsteiger, as it would certainly be a shock switch at this stage of his career which few would have seen coming.
One thing that is clear for the 32-year-old though is that if he wishes to secure regular first-team football in the final years of his playing career, then he will have to leave United and find a better fit.
With the likes of Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick ahead of him in the pecking order, even if Mourinho has a change of heart and begins to involve him more, it will still take a drastic turnaround for the former Bayern Munich man to enjoy his time at Old Trafford.
As a result, it makes sense for all parties for him to leave, but with options available, time will tell where Schweinsteiger decides to go next.