Everton and West Brom fighting it out to sign Manchester United flop Morgan Schneiderlin
French midfielder to be offered Premier League escape route out of Old Trafford
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MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN will be offered an escape route out of Manchester United by Everton and West Brom.
The midfielder has fallen way down the pecking order in the north west and is believed to be available in the January transfer window.
And that has sparked Toffees boss Ronald Koeman into life – with the Goodison Park chief poised to launch a £20million move for the France international.
The 27-year-old has only made two appearances for the Red Devils this season under Jose Mourinho.
And despite the 4-1 lead over West Ham in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, Mourinho still preferred to bring on outcast Bastien Schweinsteiger rather than give Schneiderlin an outing.
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The former Southampton star’s time at Old Trafford looks to be up and Everton are leading the chase for the experienced ace.
Koeman and West Brom manager Tony Pulis have identified a defensive midfielder as their top priority this transfer window and will attempt to lure the ace to their respective outfits.
The Toffees are the favourites for the Frenchman, who impressed for the Saints during his time playing under Koeman, and the Dutch coach is hopeful of a reunion.
Sevilla’s Steven Nzonzi was their top target but his impressive form for the La Liga outfit means there is little chance of pushing a deal through.
Director of football Steve Walsh is a big admirer of the former Blackburn and Stoke man, but with an asking price of over £25m, Schneiderlin has emerged as the more realistic option.
Gareth Barry is still the top dog in the Everton engine room but age is not on his side.
The 35-year-old former England international is not a long-term option and Koeman is already looking for his replacement.
But they will face competition from the ambitious Baggies who missed out on Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho in the summer.
The £21m Tony Pulis was willing to spend on the Portuguese international is still available to him and he is determined to put it to good use next month.
And Schneiderlin is not the only target for Pulis. He also wants to add Southampton attacker Jay Rodriguez and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho to his ranks at the Hawthorns.
He said: “Fingers crossed we’ll get a good couple of points before the window opens.
“And then I think if we can get the players we want and targeted it will be pretty exciting for everyone at the football club.”