Manchester United prepared to offload central defensive duo

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho could sanction the exits of both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling as he looks to rebuild the defence for the 2018/19 season and beyond.

The centre-backs have come under fire for their performances on the road to Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, where they have conceded a combined total of three goals.

Smalling was heavily criticised for his reckless dive prior to the Magpies goal last weekend, whilst Jones has been equally disappointing with his positioning in both matches.

According to The Mirror, Mourinho is prepared to cut ties with both Smalling and Jones in the summer, and he has urged the club's board to spend big after overseeing Liverpool and Manchester City spend £75m and £57m respectively on new centre-backs last month.

United are out of the race for the Premier League title after having fallen 16 points behind Manchester City, and Mourinho will now be desperate for the club to maintain the runner-up position for the campaign.