Tottenham Hotspur reportedly had a move for Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin blocked by Jose Mourinho as the Frenchman remains a part of his plans.
While Spurs eventually went on to seal the deal for Moussa Sissoko from Newcastle United, they had set their sights on the former Southampton ace.
Having slipped behind Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick in the central midfielder pecking order, there could have been a legitimate case to suggest that United would be open to listening to offers.
However, according to The Daily Mail, Mourinho rejected the idea of Schneiderlin leaving, as he wants cover in every position as the Red Devils go for multiple trophies at home and the Europa League.
It’s claimed that Spurs may well return in January to try and sign the 26-year-old, but time will as to whether or not he still has a prominent role at Old Trafford which will sway him to remain in Manchester.
As noted by BBC Sport, United signed Schneiderlin from Southampton in a deal worth around £25m last summer, as he put pen-to-paper on a four-year with the Premier League giants.
In turn, a move away from the club would be a disappointment for him, especially after just one season, but it now appears as though Mourinho has handed him a lifeline and he’ll be desperate to prove his worth to the Portuguese tactician.
With Mourinho preferring a deeper two-man midfield central pairing, Schneiderlin will have to displace either Pogba or Fellaini, with the pair seemingly getting the early nod from the United boss having impressed in the opening games of the campaign.