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Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho lets only Sam Johnstone out on loan

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Jose Mourinho stresses that he'll only let players leave Manchester United if it suits the club.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has stated young goalkeeper Sam Johnstone will be the only player allowed to leave Old Trafford on loan in January.

Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial are among those on the fringes of Mourinho's team who have been linked with loan moves but the United boss is only prepared to sanction a temporary deal for Johnstone.

The 23-year-old is yet to make a senior appearance for United and, with Sergio Romero in position to deputise for David de Gea if required, Johnstone is free to gain experience elsewhere, with Stoke, Sunderland and Aston Villa possible destinations.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 08:  (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Sam Johnstone of Manchester United during a first team training session
Image: Sam Johnstone is the only player allowed to leave Old Trafford on loan

"Sam Johnstone is the only player that I will allow to go on loan because he doesn't play one single minute, he needs to play," said Mourinho.

"We have a young goalkeeper in Joel [Pereira], a goalkeeper that played many minutes in the past six months in the Portuguese Premier League and now it's time for Sam to play six months.

"That's the only loan move that we are going to do."

Image: Jose Mourinho appears to have scuppered some of his fringe players' hopes of a loan move
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Permanent moves do not appear imminent either, with United yet to receive an offer that would persuade them to cash in on their fringe players.

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That means West Brom, who last week lodged a bid believed to be in the region of £18m for Schneiderlin, will likely have to increase their offer to sign the French midfielder.

"Apart from that, I don't want to sell players - the club, the board are totally with me," Mourinho added.

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"But, as I said before, if a player is not having lots of minutes, and if a player really wants to leave, we have no right to stop the player to leave, if the conditions are our conditions.

"Until this moment, we have not received one single offer that we are going to accept."

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