Former Manchester United outcast Morgan Schneiderlin is on the lookout for a new club after being left out of Nice's mid-season training camp.
The French midfielder, 33, spent the prime years of his career in the Premier League and enjoyed spells with United, Southampton and Everton before he returned to his homeland to link up with Ligue 1 outfit Nice back in the summer of 2020.
However, Schneiderlin was not included in the travelling party that jetted off to Marbella - and new Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi has conceded that the veteran playmaker's situation at the club is "complicated".
Schneiderlin has just six months remaining on his deal in France but Ghisolfi admits that the midfielder is surplus to requirements and that the club would not stand in Schneiderlin's way if he were to "find a new project" in the coming months.
"I spoke to him before we camera [to Marbella]," Ghisolfi told L’Equipe of Schneiderlin. "He is a flawless guy, who respects the club. The opposite is also true. His sporting situation is complicated. He has six months left on his contract and he wants to find a new project where he can flourish. If he has an opportunity, we’ll let him go."
Schneiderlin's latest conundrum encapsulates the general downward curve his career has been on since his frustrating spell at Old Trafford. Manchester United shelled out £25million to bring Schneiderlin to the club following his impressive stint at Southampton, but he struggled to make an impact at the club and was offloaded to Everton, where he also underwhelmed.
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After leaving United, Schneiderlin launched a sensational attack on Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal, who was then in charge at Old Trafford - and the midfielder made it clear that the Dutchman played a major part in his struggles.
Speaking to The Athletic back in 2020, Schneiderlin even revealed that he used to complain to his wife about Van Gaal. He said: "We were told: 'When you have the ball you have to do this' instead of playing with my gut like I had done with [former Southampton bosses Mauricio] Pochettino and [Ronald] Koeman.
"The worst thing for a football player is when you think too much. I started to think: 'Ah, the manager wants me to do this'. You lose your instinct, your start to force things, you miss passes, you arrive too late for a challenge. Your confidence goes down."
Schneiderlin added: "I would play a very good game and then a very bad game. I wasn’t confident enough. I started to complain to my wife. It hurts me even now that I couldn’t play freely at United.
"The pressure of the club was no problem to me. I like pressure, I need pressure and adrenaline. The fans were good to me in the street. The problem was me because I knew I had so much to give but I couldn’t give it because I felt restricted.
"Looking back, I shouldn’t have been so upset, but at the time that’s how it was. You had to wait until the manager told you that you could eat. These things work when the players are 19 and 20, but not when you have older players."
