Bastian takes the Fire exit

BASTIAN Schweinsteiger agreed to leave Manchester United for Chicago Fire without having his contract paid up.

The former Germany captain had 15 months left on his contract and Sportsmail understands United were also willing to forego a transfer fee for the 32-year-old.

Schweinsteiger’s switch to Major League Soccer is seen as a clean break by Jose Mourinho, who quickly identified that the midfielder was surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

Struggling Chicago Fire requested the deal was done now rather than the summer and Mourinho sanctioned that, given he was set to play no part in the run-in.

Schweinsteiger, who had already moved out of his property in Hale, has gone searching for more games and signed terms on a one-year stay. He could have asked United to pay a lump sum in line with his three-year contract. That might have risen to around £10million.

It means United are not left in the same scenario as with Robin van Persie, when the striker was paid £8m when he departed for Fenerbahce in 2015.

Germany coach Joachim Low criticised Mourinho yesterday, claiming his former skipper — who retired from international football in August — had more to give. ‘He trained very well and sometimes the team themselves will have wished for him to help the team,’ Low said ahead of tonight’s friendly with England.

‘I have seen some Man United games where they could have well done with a central midfielder, a kind of chief organiser who puts things right.

‘We spoke some weeks ago and he said that in training he has given everything he has got, he has shown the coach what he can do and for a while there was some light on the horizon. But at the end of the day it seems like it was just not to be in Man United.’

Mourinho was not quoted on United’s website when they confirmed the news and Schweinsteiger, who posted a thank-you video message on his twitter page to the fans, also claimed he was ‘sad to leave so many friends’ behind at Carrington.