Having had his purchase of a 25% stake in his boyhood club recently confirmed, the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led revolution is now officially underway at Old Trafford.
While fixing up the rather decrepit Old Trafford is one of the key priorities for the new ownership group, fixing the first-team squad is certainly one too.
90min understands that the INEOS chairman is planning to have a budget of around £170m for new signings this summer, with around £100m of that figure coming from player sales.
And with that in mind, here are some of the players that Man Utd should let go of this summer.
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Fee: £73m
Current role: Completely ostracised by Erik ten Hag and now back at Borussia Dortmund on loan
Why sell? It seems that so long as Ten Hag is Man Utd’s manager then Sancho won’t have a future at Old Trafford. The bust-up between the pair ultimately led to the wide forward re-joining former club Dortmund in January, with Sancho likely believing that, if he re-found his best form, he’d return to the Red Devils and become a regular in their squad once again. Put bluntly, however, Sancho hasn’t played well since his January move, leading many to question if he’s even good enough to be on the books at Man Utd at this stage in his career regardless of his relationship with Ten Hag.
Fee: £60m
Current role: Playing a key role in Man Utd’s rather non-existent midfield
Why sell? Casemiro was signed (for a lot of money) as a stop-gap in midfield for Manchester United. But with dominant performances also mixed with regular injury absences and mixed form, as well as pocketing a huge sum in wages, that is already coming to an end. It’s time to part in summer.
Fee: £41m
Current role: Man Utd’s injury prone centre-back who is the only fit centre-back at the club
Why sell? Like Casemiro, Varane was signed in the later stages of his career and this summer seems like the right time for him to leave the club. With his huge contract winding down and interest from Saudi Arabia being heavily reported, it makes sense to cut ties with the World Cup winner.
Fee: £8.5m loan fee + £17.1m buy option
Current role: Five minute cameos at the end of games
Why sell? A player that Manchester United were seemingly desperate to get through the door in the summer, it’s fair to say that Sofyan Amrabat hasn’t exactly shown fans why their club’s transfer gurus were so keen to sign him. And following Kobbie Mainoo’s breakout, it’s hard to imagine Amrabat probably won’t get the chance to either. The Red Devils should cut their losses and let the midfielder return to Fiorentina in the summer without triggering his option.
Fee: £86m
Current role: He’s being given pity minutes by Erik ten Hag at the end of games.
Why sell? Seemingly now behind Amad Diallo and Omari Forson in the winger pecking order, Antony cost Manchester United £86m – despite club scouts previously valuing him at £25m – and has scored zero Premier League goals so far in 2023/24. Need we say more?
Fee: £58m
Current role: Sitting in the treatment room
Why sell? Ah, the man signed with a Ballon d’Or add-on. Martial’s current contract – a five-year deal signed in 2019 – is set to expire at the end of the 2023/24 season, and 90min understands the club has no intention of taking up an option to extend it by a further year. Judging by the near 100 games he’s missed due to a myriad of injury concerns at Old Trafford, it’s easy to see why that’s the case.
Fee: Academy graduate
Current role: On loan at Getafe
Why sell? While Sir Jim Ratcliffe is seemingly set to make his own decision on Mason Greenwood’s status at Old Trafford beyond this season, the backlash to his comments and the powerful statement previously published by Man Utd fan group ‘Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return’ is proof that the club need to cut ties with the 22-year-old permanently in the summer.
Fee: £40m
Current role: On loan at Eintracht Frankfurt
Why sell? A nasty combination of injuries, managerial changes and a lack of form led to Donny van de Beek’s struggles at Man Utd. Now on loan in Germany and getting much more regular gametime, it’s clear his future lies elsewhere this summer.
