Daley Blind and Juan Mata are likely to be sold by Manchester United in the summer as new boss Jose Mourinho sets about the task of making the club title contenders again, reports say.

Sky Sports claims the ex-Chelsea boss has sanctioned the sale of both players in the coming transfer window as they do not fit the profile of players he wants in his squad.

Mata, 28, was sold by Chelsea to United in 2014 amid reports that Mourinho was unhappy with his lack of pace and work rate.

He spent much of the 2013/14 season on the bench at Stamford Bridge and was sold in January 2014 to the Red Devils for a fee of about £33.5m ($49m).

Mata only scored six league goals for United in the recently-concluded season and has been left out of Spain's provisional squad for Euro 2016.

He will have no shortage of suitors should he be put up for sale by the Manchester club, with Barcelona among the clubs reported to be interested in signing the Spaniard.

Surplus to requirements

Sky Sports says Blind will also likely be sold by United as Mourinho does not think he has the physical attributes to play as a central defender.

The Dutchman, who can also play as a full-back and as a midfielder, was signed by Van Gaal from Ajax in his first season, and was a regular alongside Chris Smalling in central defence.

Juan Mata and Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho sold Juan Mata within six months of arriving at Chelsea in 2013 Getty

Speaking at the Netherlands' training camp in Portugal, Blind was critical of the way Van Gaal's sacking was handled by United.

"I always worked well with him and would have been keen that the co-operation lasted longer," he was quoted as saying.

"Over the last six months he has not been treated fairly. I think a manager like Louis van Gaal, who has achieved so much already, deserved more respect.

"Even though there was so much being written about him losing his job over the last months, he always looked to protect and shelter us. It is not easy for a coach if you are repeatedly being fired in the newspapers."