Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the potential new owner of Manchester United, is planning a major makeover of the senior squad, with at least ten players expected to leave between January and the summer.
Ratcliffe has agreed to pay £1.3 billion for a 25% share in Manchester United, which might lead to a takeover of the club from current owners the Glazers. The British tycoon, who also owns Nice in France, had hoped to start working at Manchester United a few weeks ago.
However, the agreement has been postponed, and he may now have to wait until January to begin his mission to return Manchester United to the top of English and European football.
With a huge portion of the squad underperforming and under threat, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at which players Ratcliffe will push to move on.
When their contracts expire at the end of the season, veterans Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton will almost certainly be allowed to leave on free transfers. After re-joining the club on a one-year contract, Evans has shown to be a good player for manager Erik ten Hag, but Ratcliffe will look to bring in larger and better defenders next year.
Midfielder Scott McTominay could follow Evans and Heaton out of Old Trafford. The Scot has been in fantastic form recently, scoring two late goals to help Manchester United overcome Brentford 2-1 in October, as well as scoring in the following game over Sheffield United. McTominay’s goals helped him re-establish himself as a regular starter.
McTominay, on the other hand, was placed on the transfer market over the summer, and West Ham United lobbied hard to sign him. Despite his recent influence, the MEN calls the scenario ‘unsustainable’ and believes McTominay will be available for move again next summer.
Man United may also have a whole new midfield next season. Sofyan Amrabat arrived on loan from Fiorentina in September, with the option to purchase for Manchester United. However, he has yet to impress, and Ratcliffe is considering passing on the purchase option.
Eriksen, Casemiro and Martial all under threat
Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are two additional midfielders who could leave. Eriksen has publicly confessed that he does not match Ten Hag’s style, and Casemiro appears to be past his prime.
Anthony Martial, Manchester United’s centre-forward, could leave the club in January after scoring just 89 goals in eight years. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, January offers Manchester United’s final chance to recoup some of their investment in the Frenchman.
Jadon Sancho, unsurprisingly, is also on Ratcliffe’s ‘to sell’ list. The winger has had a public spat with Ten Hag over his training performances and the fact that he feels like a’scapegoat’ in the Manchester United group.
Sancho will seek to leave Manchester United as soon as possible, making a January move very probable. He does not want to finish his top-level career prematurely by moving to Saudi Arabia, giving Juventus a strong chance to sign him.
Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood round up the rest of the 10-man roster. Van De Beek is practically Manchester United’s forgotten man, having played just 21 minutes this season.
He sorely needs a permanent exit from Manchester United in order to rejoin the Netherlands side, and Galatasaray are reportedly willing to provide him with that opportunity.
Mason Greenwood to leave Man Utd permanently
Meanwhile, Greenwood is on loan at Getafe after Manchester United chose to help him get back into top-flight football after allegations of attempted rape, assault, and coercive control against him were dropped.
Man United did not fully rule out Greenwood ever playing for them again when they announced he will continue his career at Getafe. However, it would be a great surprise if this occurred because they would face massive public outcry. Instead, Getafe is poised to launch a permanent bid for the attacker.
Other Manchester United players facing unclear futures include Raphael Varane, Shola Shoretire, and Brandon Williams.