A former Manchester United player who had been tipped to replicate what Bastian Schweinsteiger could do under Louis van Gaal is currently a free agent this summer.
Bastian Schweinsteiger had played under Louis van Gaal at Bayern Munich before he linked up with the former Manchester United manager at Old Trafford in 2015.
United agreed to sign the 2014 World Cup winner from Bayern Munich for a reported £14.4m fee, as Morgan Schneiderlin also arrived at the club in the same window.
During Van Gaal’s two-season reign at Old Trafford, Timothy Fosu-Mensah climbed out of the United youth academy and emerged in the Red Devils’ first team.
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TV expert Bastian Schweinsteiger smiles prior the DFB Cup match between 1. FC Koeln and FC Bayern Muenchen at RheinEnergieStadion on October 29, 2025 in Cologne, Germany.
Photo by Mika Volkmann/Getty Images
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What comparison did Louis van Gaal make between free agent Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Bastian Schweinsteiger at Man Utd?
Timothy Fosu-Mensah received his Manchester United debut under Louis van Gaal after he came off the bench in the 3-2 Premier League win over Arsenal in 2016.
The 28-year-old Dutchman had been tipped for a promising future at Old Trafford and Van Gaal wanted to mould him into a Bastian Schweinsteiger-style player.
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“You can ask Bastian Schweinsteiger who, at Bayern Munich, played on the right side, the right wing,” Van Gaal told Manchester United’s official website in 2016.
“I made him a centre midfielder because I looked at his profile and I thought that he [could] better play in the middle and he enjoys it more than on the right side. I have changed a lot of positions of players.”
Fosu-Mensah spent time out on loan at Crystal Palace and Fulham while he was at Old Trafford, but he failed to cement a regular first-team role in the squad.
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Former Man Utd talent Timothy Fosu-Mensah sends out a clear-cut message about his future after his 2024 Bayer Leverkusen exit
Fosu-Mensah left Old Trafford in 2021 and the former Netherlands international was offered a fresh start at German side Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the former Crystal Palace and Fulham player’s run at Bayer Leverkusen was hindered by injuries, including a devastating knee ligament injury in 2021.
Fosu-Mensah would leave the Bundesliga club in 2024, but the defender, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, is still committed to playing football.
“After Bayer Leverkusen, I’m a free agent,” he told Sky Sports in June.
“I’ve had some complicated situations with certain people, and I know that’s mainly the reason why things were quite complicated for me to move on to another club.
“I’ve been training hard, staying in shape, not just chill or relax, but keeping going because I’m always ready for the next opportunity.”
Fosu-Mensah lifted the FA Cup under Van Gaal at Man Utd and both the League Cup and the Europa League trophy under former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho.
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