Jose Mourinho Manchester United transfer mission close to completion

Jose Mourinho may have given Daley Blind a glowing tribute following his transfer to Ajax this week - but his departure saw the Manchester United manager move a step closer to purging Louis van Gaal’s Old Trafford legacy.

Blind was near-anonymous in his final season at the club - and his return to Amsterdam ends an under-whelming four years.

Notably he is the fourth Van Gaal signing to be shown the door by Mourinho, with Matteo Darmian expected to be the fifth if United can find a buyer this summer. It is an indictment of the former United manager’s confused and chaotic transfer strategy in two summer windows.

Indeed Van Gaal was as ruthless as anyone with his own recruits - quickly moving on Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Victor Valdes.

Meanwhile, he had his own concerns about Luke Shaw - as has Mourinho - and froze out another of his signings in Ander Herrera for long periods during his reign.

When Mourinho bemoaned the ‘heritage’ of the squad he inherited at United last season, it was easy to surmise the finger of blame was being directed at Van Gaal.

He has made more of an effort to ship out the Dutchman’s signings than those of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin were gone within months of him taking the job. That he managed to lose such relatively small amounts on Depay and Schneiderlin was commendable.

In the case of Schweinsteiger - as with Wayne Rooney - it was about removing a high earner on a long contract.

Blind and Darmian have proved more difficult to shift despite it being clear for a long time that neither figured in his plans.

The pair have added to a bloated squad in desperate need of trimming.

While so many of Van Gaal’s signings have made their way, Mourinho has found himself increasingly reliant on Ferguson’s players.

He named an entire back five of Ferguson signings in the FA Cup final - David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Ashley Young.

The £52m signing Fred this summer is intended to finally replace Michael Carrick, despite Van Gaal bringing in both Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin to complete a midfield overhaul some three years ago.

Mourinho simply didn’t believe many of Van Gaal’s signings were of the required quality.

And the futures of those remaining will make fascinating viewing.

Shaw is still to convince Mourinho, despite the decision to shelve plans to buy a left back this summer.

Anthony Martial’s position looks perilous, with the player's representative stating now is the time to leave.

Van Gaal famously described the French striker as his gift to his successor.

Mourinho has rarely looked like a grateful recipient - and interest in Gareth Bale, Ivan Perisic and Willian this summer is a testament to that.

Herrera, meanwhile, will find his first team opportunities further hindered by the arrival of Fred - the third midfielder signed by Mourinho in three summers, to underline how dissatisfied he was with the options he was faced with when succeeding Van Gaal.

Ironically David Moyes’ transfer dealings have fared better under Mourinho, who personally fought to secure Marouane Fellaini a new contract - and has used Juan Mata far more than expected after selling him at Chelsea.

Marcos Rojo stands out as something of an exception of Van Gaal’s buys.

The Argentine was handed a new deal last year - yet Mourinho has placed the signing of a top class centre back among his transfer priorities this summer.

It would come as little surprise if he, too, departed in the near future as Mourinho continues his task of making this United squad his own.