Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly rebuffed interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers for Sam Johnstone due to how a previous deal went.
According to The Telegraph, Wolves made an offer to take Johnstone on emergency loan last Friday after Paul Lambert saw shot-stoppers Andy Lonergan and Carl Ikeme pick up injuries.
However, he saw the approach for Johnstone rejected as it’s claimed that Mourinho is still upset over how Cameron Borthwick-Jackson hasn’t been given regular playing time since his loan switch in the summer with a return to Old Trafford in January likely.
Having made just seven appearances since moving to Molineux, United are said to be so frustrated that they decided to block any move for Johnstone.
Instead, the 23-year-old is said to now be close to joining Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season in January, as per the Telegraph, with Steve Bruce looking to add depth and bolster his squad.
On one hand, it’s difficult to argue with Mourinho as ultimately he needs to find the right fit for his players and with Wolves leaving him disappointed so recently, it’s no surprise that he has no desire to see any of his players make the switch to join Lambert’s squad.
In contrast, it could be considered quite petty as Johnstone could benefit from the temporary switch and Wolves look to be in a position where they would have no other choice but to play him anyway.
Nevertheless, all that is now irrelevant as it seems as though Johnstone is Villa bound and not Wolves, while Borthwick-Jackson will hope to either force his way into Mourinho’s plans in the second half of the season or secure another loan deal which gives him regular playing time and a chance to improve.