Manchester United are learning their lesson with James Garner transfer decision

There's a degree of what might have been for James Garner at Manchester United as the academy graduate closes in on a permanent departure from the club.

The 21-year-old was set for an opportunity to prove his credentials for Old Trafford in pre-season, but the knock he picked up on the first day of the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia came at the most inopportune moment.

It restricted Garner's time to impress Erik ten Hag in a condensed training environment and he managed just 23 minutes of football on tour, in the final friendly against Aston Villa at a time when conditions had affected the quality of the game in Perth.

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He managed 77 minutes in what was basically a B-team midfield against Rayo Vallecano but at that moment his chance had slipped away. United's £70million deal for Casemiro only increased the competition and it was clear Garner wasn't going to make his way into Ten Hag's first team plans.

There is some disappointment amongst supporters that the academy graduate isn't going to get his chance and that the club are sanctioning a sale rather than another loan, but this is the type of decision United haven't made often enough in recent years.

For Garner, it had to be this season or bust at United. He is now 21 and another loan is unlikely to do much to alter his first-team opportunities at the club. Once Ten Hag had decided he wasn't going to feature this season, a permanent departure suited all parties.

The excitement around Garner stemmed from his hugely successful loan spell with Nottingham Forest last season and it's clear he has earned a chance in the Premier League. But United are set to bring in around £15million for a player who