Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is on the verge of completing the transfer mission

The transfer of Daley Blind to Ajax allows Jose Mourinho to get closer to the elimination of the legacy of Manchester United by Louis van Gaal.

Blind was almost anonymous in his last season at Old Trafford – and his return to Amsterdam ended four years under the yoke at the club.

Notably he is Van Gaal's fourth signing to be shown the door by Mourinho, with Matteo Darmian expected to be fifth if United can find a buyer this summer. This is an indictment of the confused and chaotic transfer strategy of the former United manager in two summer windows.

Indeed Van Gaal was as ruthless as anyone with his own recruits – moving fast on Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Victor Valdes.

Meanwhile, he had his own concerns about Luke Shaw – like Mourinho – and froze another of his signatures to Ander Herrera for long periods during his reign.

When Mourinho lamented the "heritage" of the team he had inherited from United last season, it was easy to badume that the finger of the foul was directed against Van Gaal.

He made more efforts to ship the Dutchman's signatures than those of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin left a few months after accepting the job. The fact that he managed to lose such relatively modest amounts on Depay and Schneiderlin was commendable.

In the case of Schweinsteiger, as in the case of Wayne Rooney, it was a question of withdrawing a high salary from a long-term contract.

Blind and Darmian proved to be more difficult to change, even though it's clear for a long time that neither in his plans.

The pair added to a swollen team in desperate need of trimming.

While so many Van Gaal's signatures have made their way, Mourinho has found himself increasingly dependent on Ferguson's players.

He named a whole back five of Ferguson's signatures in the FA Cup final – David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Ashley Young.

Fred's £ 52m this summer is intended to replace Michael Carrick, despite Van Gaal's appeal to Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin for mid-field review three years ago.

Mourinho simply did not believe that many of Van Gaal's signatures were of the required quality.

And the future of those who remain will make a fascinating spectacle.

Shaw has yet to convince Mourinho, despite the decision to suspend his plans to buy a left-back this summer.

Anthony Martial's position seems perilous, with the player's representative declaring that it's time to leave.

Van Gaal described the French attacker as his gift to his successor.

Mourinho rarely seemed like a grateful recipient – and interest in Gareth Bale, Ivan Perisic, and Willian this summer bears witness to this.

Herrera, meanwhile, the third midfielder signed by Mourinho in three summers, Fred, will be even more embarrbaded by the arrival of Fred, who will highlight how he is unhappy with the choices he has faced in leaving the competition with Van Gaal.

Ironically, David Moyes' transfer transactions held up better under Mourinho, who personally fought to get a new contract with Marouane Fellaini – and used Juan Mata far more than expected after having sold in Chelsea.

Marcos Rojo stands out as an exception to Van Gaal's purchases.

Argentina received a new contract last year – yet Mourinho has placed the signature of a first clbad center among its transfer priorities this summer.

It should come as no surprise that he too will leave in the near future, while Mourinho continues his task of making the United team his own.

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