Manchester United are reportedly willing to pay Bastian Schweinsteiger £10m as part of a severance deal to push through an exit in January.
The veteran midfielder has been frozen out by Jose Mourinho this season, and has failed to make a single appearance for the team since the Portuguese tactician’s arrival in the summer.
According to The Sun, he is currently on £180,000-a-week and is due to be paid £18m in wages over the course of the remaining two years left on his contract.
In a bid to smooth over a departure and to find a club willing to take him off their hands, United are ready to pay out the severance package in order to see him finally leave.
United fans were delighted to see the former Bayern Munich star return to training with the first-team earlier this week, but ultimately he was brought back in a bid to get him fully fit and ready for a switch elsewhere in the New Year.
“Bastian is fulfilling his obligations by training each day and is in terrific shape,” a United source told The Sun. “He’s looking as good as he has since he arrived at the club.
“United are hoping a club will still come forward to take him off their hands in the upcoming window, but there are no takers as of yet.”
Given United’s on-going struggles following their defeat at Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, it’s questionable as to whether or not Mourinho could use Schweinsteiger right now.
With his side lacking balance and in need of a player with the German’s characteristics alongside Paul Pogba in terms of offering defensive coverage and a steady presence to build play from a deeper midfield position, the 32-year-old seems like an ideal fit.
Even with Pogba picking up a knock in Istanbul, it still doesn’t look as though Mourinho has any intention of bringing Schweinsteiger into contention though with the United boss seemingly set on offloading him in January.