Manchester United have been slammed over their January transfer window as the club failed to bring in any new players.
Donny van de Beek, Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo and Axel Tuanzebe all secured loan moves away from Old Trafford, but those departures were the club's only transfer activity despite their struggles so far this season.
One player who was denied his move away was Jesse Lingard, who was the subject of enquiries from Newcastle United and West Ham United but will now see out the last six months of his contract with United before departing in the summer.
But reports have now suggested the player was deliberately denied a transfer as the club wanted to 'make an example' of him to other players.
It comes as former United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has opened up on playing under Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.
Here are Mirror Football's latest Manchester United headlines.
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Schweinsteiger's 'pain'
Bastian Schweinsteiger has spoken about his exile from the Manchester United first-team under Jose Mourinho.
The ex-Germany international says he was first made aware he was being dropped from first-team duties when he was refused entry into the club's changing room before training – on the day of his 32nd birthday.
Schweinsteiger says the whole ordeal left him in 'great pain' and that he 'couldn't really trust' the club afterward.
United's 'embarrassing' window
Manchester United's 'embarrassing' transfer window proves they're a 'hapless club with unhappy players', it has been claimed.
The Red Devils failed to get a single signing over the line during the course of the month and while there wee four departures on loan, those players who did leave have left behind several others who also want to find an escape from Old Trafford.
Jesse Lingard, Dean Henderson and Paul Pogba have all been linked with moves away from the club in recent times – and they're far from being the only ones.
And, according to Mirror Football's Simon Mullock, it's left United "treading water".
Lingard 'made example' of
United decided to use transfer interest in Jesse Lingard to 'make an example' of the player, it has been claimed.
Reports have suggested the United board wanted to send a warning to other wantaway players at Old Trafford that they will simply freeze out players who choose to run down their contracts with the club.
The club are also said to be against the idea of granting cut-price departures for players entering the final stages of their contract.
Several top stars at Old Trafford fall into this latter category, with Lingard's current situation said to serve as a warning to those now in the last 18 months of their contracts with the club.
