Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho ready to axe Smalling

Manchester United manager Jose Mouirnho has a lot on his hands this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of going further than his first season and challenge for the Premier League.

Despite winning two major trophies in his first term as United boss, there is still work to be done at Old Trafford as the club look to return to the level they were at under Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign.

One area Mourinho has been criticising all season long is his defence. Whilst left-back Luke Shaw has faced the brunt of the Portuguese’s rants, England defender Chris Smalling has also been the subject of plenty a post match press conference.

With that in mind, the club have confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Benfica over a deal for Swedish defender Victor Lindelof. However, according to reports in the Daily Star, that deal means Smalling will now be heading for the door marked exit.

The tabloid claims that Mourinho is planning to go with the pairing of Lindelof and Eric Bailly, with former Blackburn man Phil Jones providing depth, leaving no place for Smalling.