A decade on from Jose Mourinho’s brutal summer clear-out at Manchester United, we take a look at where the 15 players he axed have ended up
Jose Mourinho made an immediate impact when he took over at Manchester United in the summer of 2016. Following Louis van Gaal’s exit, the Portuguese manager quickly assessed the squad he inherited and sought to reshape the dressing room to fit his own preference.
He was backed heavily in his first transfer window, spending around £145million on four high-profile signings: Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly. To make space for the new additions and trim down the squad, Mourinho also oversaw a major clear-out.
A total of 15 players were shown the door – either sold, released at the end of their contracts or sent out on loan moves that effectively ended their time at the club. A decade on from that busy summer, The Manchester Evening News looks at what happened to all the players Mourinho moved on for a combined £8.5m.
George Dorrington
The young goalkeeper was released by United in the summer of 2016 at the end of his contract. He immediately signed for Huddersfield Town after a successful trial but never managed to make the grade at the highest level. Now 29, Dorrington has largely fallen into footballing obscurity, with his last known involvement in the game coming for non-league side Mangotsfield United.
Nick Powell
Once tipped for greatness by Sir Alex Ferguson, Powell was allowed to leave for Wigan Athletic on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract. He rebuilt his career in the EFL, spending four years at Stoke City before moving to Stockport County, where he helped them win the League Two title in 2023/24. Now 32, the attacking midfielder is currently playing for Bradford City in League One.
Oliver Rathbone
Rathbone left the United academy on a free transfer to join Rochdale, where he quickly established himself. His performances earned him a move up the football pyramid to Rotherham United, where he became a fan favourite. Today, the 29-year-old is a well-respected midfielder, currently playing for promotion hopefuls Wrexham in the Championship.
Joe Rothwell
The academy graduate left Old Trafford on a free transfer to join Oxford United after failing to make a senior appearance for the Reds. He climbed the EFL ladder with impressive spells at Blackburn Rovers and Bournemouth, earning a taste of Premier League football before enjoying promotion-winning loan spells at Southampton and Leeds. Rothwell, now 31, plays for Sheffield United.
Guillermo Varela
Mourinho sent the Uruguayan right-back on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt for the 2016/17 season, though the move ended sourly when he was suspended by the German club for getting an unauthorised tattoo.
He left United permanently for Penarol in 2017, where he won two league titles, and later had stints with FC Copenhagen and Dynamo Moscow. Now 33, Varela is playing in Brazil with Flamengo and recently represented Uruguay at the World Cup.
Victor Valdes
The legendary former Barcelona goalkeeper was famously frozen out by Louis van Gaal and was released by the club in the summer of 2016 upon the expiration of his contract. Valdes spent one season at Middlesbrough, making 28 Premier League appearances, before Boro were relegated. He announced his retirement in the summer of 2017 and has since moved into coaching.
Donald Love
Love was sold to Sunderland in a £5.5m joint deal alongside Paddy McNair just weeks into Mourinho’s reign. His time in the North East was hampered by relegation, leading to spells at Shrewsbury Town, Salford City and Morecambe. Now 31, the defender has carved out a solid career in the lower tiers of the Football League and currently lines up for Accrington Stanley in League Two.
Paddy McNair
McNair was shipped off to Sunderland in that same £5.5m double deal. He fared much better after leaving Wearside, enjoying a long, successful stint at Middlesbrough, where he made just shy of 200 league appearances.
The Northern Ireland international recently had a brief stint in MLS with San Diego FC before returning to England to join Hull City in January 2026, winning the EFL Championship play-offs and earning promotion to the Premier League.
Discounted 26/27 Sky Sports Premier League Bundle
Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.
Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
Despite showing initial promise under Van Gaal, Mourinho immediately loaned the left-back to Wolves, which sparked a series of underwhelming loan moves. He was eventually released in 2020 and spent time bouncing around the lower leagues with clubs like Oldham Athletic and Burton Albion. Aged 29, his fall down the football pyramid has seen him land at Macclesfield FC.
James Wilson
The striker was loaned out to Derby County by Mourinho in August 2016, but a serious knee injury cut his spell short. He eventually left Old Trafford for good to join Aberdeen, before dropping into the English lower leagues to turn out for Salford City, Port Vale and Northampton Town. Aged 30, Wilson is currently a free agent.
Tyler Blackett
Blackett was sold to Reading by Mourinho in August 2016, linking up with former United defender Jaap Stam on a permanent deal. The defender later spent time at Nottingham Forest, FC Cincinnati and Rotherham United before becoming a free agent. At 32, he recently restarted his career in the US by signing for USL Championship side New Mexico United.
Andreas Pereira
Pereira was loaned out to Spanish side Granada during Mourinho’s first window, kicking off a series of loans that later included Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo. He finally cut ties with United in 2022 to join Fulham, where he spent three impressive seasons as a Premier League starter. Now 30, Pereira returned to Brazil to sign for Palmeiras, having earned a total of 10 caps for the Selecao.
Will Keane
After serious injuries derailed his United career, Keane was sold to Hull City for around £3m in the summer of 2016. He had to drop down to League One with Wigan Athletic to rebuild his confidence in 2020, winning the 2021/22 League One golden boot award. The 33-year-old led the line for Preston North End before spending time on loan at Reading last season. He is currently without a club.
James Weir
Weir made just one senior appearance for United, sharing a debut against Arsenal with Marcus Rashford, before being sold to Hull City for an undisclosed fee on deadline day in 2016. Unfortunately, a run of injuries severely hindered his progress, leading to a brief stint at Bolton Wanderers before he opted to rebuild his career abroad in Slovakia and Hungary.
The 31-year-old midfielder hung up his boots in 2024, completed a university degree and swapped the pitch for a completely new career path as an independent travel agent.
Dean Henderson
Perhaps the most successful player on this list since his move, Henderson was sent out on loan to League Two side Grimsby Town during this window, beginning what would be a meticulous development path.
He rose through the ranks via loans at Shrewsbury and Sheffield United to eventually challenge David de Gea for the United number one jersey. Henderson, 29, left Old Trafford permanently in 2023 for Crystal Palace, where he has won the FA Cup and the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League and was included in the England squad that secured a bronze medal at the 2026 World Cup.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login