Manchester United fans have been growing frustrated with the club’s inability to get big deals over the line so far this summer, with the only major arrival being the capture of Victor Lindelof from Benfica, but Jose Mourinho has over challenges ahead of him.

The Red Devils squad is due to return to training this week as they begin their pre-season preparations and Mourinho will have a challenge on his hands finding a place for everyone, as he remarkably as 27 players on his books that made an appearance last season.

That includes young talents like Axel Tuanzebe, Demetri Mitchell, Scott McTominay, Matty Willock and Angel Gomes, all of whom earned their stripes in the first-team during the back-end of the campaign and will be looking for further opportunities this term.

Finding a spot for these excelling youngsters won’t be easy though and the Red Devils will also see players return from their loan spells last season, with the likes of Adnan Januzaj, Andreas Pereira, Guillermo Varela and Sam Johnstone on their way back to Old Trafford.

Of that quarter, Pereira is the most likely to get his chance in the first-team following an impressive campaign on-loan with Spanish minnows Granada last season but Manchester United’s competitive squad means it’s a challenge for any developing youngster to get first-team football.

With Victor Lindelof having already arrived and further big names linked with a move to Manchester United before the window slams shut at the end of August, Manchester United are left with a bolstering squad that’s significantly larger than the 22-man squad Mourinho would like.

Some players will be easier to let go, as the likes of Januzaj don’t have a future at Old Trafford, but Mourinho is wary of allowing players to leave too soon and his approach regarding first-team players is to only sell them if they seek an exit- as was the case in January with Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay.

Trimming his squad won’t be easy as a number of players made an impression last season or boast potential for the future, which means the likes of Anthony Martial, who has been linked with an exit, are more than likely set to remain at Old Trafford.

Veterans like Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia don’t have too many years ahead of them but exits for the quartet still seem unlikely, especially as they all proved their worth in the first-team last season.

Jose Mourinho rotated his squad heavily during the back end of the last campaign, which allowed him to keep his large side happy, but it will be difficult to keep the majority of his bolstering ranks content next season- and frustration could brew behind the scenes, potentially creating problems.