Man Utd keep or sell as decisions made on 13 stars in Erik ten Hag overhaul
Manchester United are braced for a period of turbulence, with the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to speed up the overhaul being undertaken by Erik ten Hag.
Ratcliffe is close to sealing a 25 per cent stake in United for £1.3billion and he is planning to tear things up behind the scenes, having previously criticised the club’s “dumb money” approach to recruitment. His arrival means other executives are set to follow chief executive Richard Arnold out of the door – and it also means a change of approach in the transfer market.
As well as changing tack in the market, Ratcliffe will take a no-nonsense approach to the current squad at Ten Hag’s disposal. It means that the next two transfer windows are likely to be a busy period for the club. There are 13 current players on the chopping block, with departures needed to fund new arrivals amid the constraints imposed by financial fair play rules.
Here Mirror Football runs the rule over the 13 players who could leave in 2024 and considers the best approach for Ratcliffe, Ten Hag and co.
Jadon Sancho
The biggest personnel decision concerns the £73m winger who is currently on the scrap heap at Carrington. Sancho has not played since falling out with Ten Hag earlier in the season due to his comments about his standards in training.
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Sancho has refused to apologise to his manager, who has reacted by making him train alone. Ratcliffe is thought to be onboard with the idea of offloading Sancho in the January window, but that is easier said than done.
Jadon Sancho will be very difficult to sell for Manchester United (Getty Images)The 23-year-old winger is on a contract worth £250,000-a-week which doesn’t expire until June 2026 and the only plausible permanent exit route – the Saudi Pro League – doesn’t excite Sancho. A loan move would offer a short-term solution, but a much better one would be Ten Hag burying the hatchet and reintegrating a player who was exceptional at Borussia Dortmund two years ago.
Decision: KEEP
Mason Greenwood
Greenwood is out on loan at Getafe and United have already stated he won’t play for the club again after charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the forward were dropped in February.
Clearly United would like to sell Greenwood and his three goals in 10 appearances for Getafe this season means that should be possible in 2024.
Decision: SELL
Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek needs to be sold (Getty Images)The Dutchman was signed for £40m in September 2020 and has been an unmitigated disaster. The arrival of Ten Hag as manager appeared to offer him a lifeline, given they worked together at previous club Ajax, but that has not been the case: he left out of United's Champions League squad and has played just two minutes of Premier League football this season.
He is under contract until June 2025 and getting him off the wage bill should be a priority.
Decision: SELL
Anthony Martial
Martial is United’s second longest-serving player, behind Luke Shaw, having joined way back in 2015 from Monaco. United have been open to selling the Frenchman for the past few years, but the contract he signed in January 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has held them back.
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His record of 89 goals in 313 games is clearly not good enough for a club of United’s standing. Martial’s contract expires in June and there is no way the year extension will be triggered. They need to cut ties and sign a more reliable goalscorer to work with Rasmus Hojlund.
Decision: RELEASE
Anthony Martial's Manchester United contract is close to expiring (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Which players should Manchester United sell in the coming transfer windows? Comment below.
Jonny Evans
Evans was not part of Ten Hag’s plan; he was a surprise returnee in the summer after he was released by Leicester. Now 35, Evans has been forced to feature more often than Ten Hag would have liked this season due to injuries in central defence.
His one-year deal expires in the summer and surely it will be time to move on.
Decision: RELEASE
Tom Heaton
The 37-year-old reserve goalkeeper is the back-up to Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. He has not yet featured this season and has made just three appearances for United altogether since joining in 2021. His deal expires in the summer and he should be allowed to leave.
Decision: RELEASE
Sofyan Amrabat
Sofyan Amrabat has not impressed yet - and will have to earn a permanent transfer (Michael Regan/Getty Images)Amrabat joined United on deadline day and the club are paying £8.5m (€10m) for the privilege of having him on a season-long loan from Fiorentina. They will have to fork out £21.4m (€25m) if they want to sign him permanently in the summer.
We haven’t seen much of the Morocco international yet and, when he has featured, he has been forced to fill in at left-back. The jury is still out for now, but United must take a ruthless approach when the time comes to make a decision. Amrabat is 27 years old and, if he doesn’t impress sufficiently, they should make a decision with the long-term in mind.
Decision: JURY’S OUT
Sergio Reguilon
Reguilon was another deadline day signing, brought in to provide cover at left-back with Shaw and Tyrell Malacia out injured. He was not even the first choice, but difficulties in doing a deal for Marc Cucurella putting Reguilon to the front of the queue.
With Shaw now back in training, the 26-year-old Tottenham player should not be required as much. And when the summer rolls around, he should be sent back to his parent side.
Decision: RELEASE
Brandon Williams
Williams is on loan at Championship high-fliers Ipswich, where he is under the wing of former United coach Kieran McKenna. He is thriving, with two goals in 10 Championship games this season, but it seems unlikely he can do enough to earn a new deal.
The 23-year-old’s contract expires in the summer and, while the club might try to extend it to extract a transfer fee, he doesn’t seem to have a future in Ten Hag’s side.
Decision: RELEASE OR SELL
Alvaro Fernandez
Fernandez might have fancied a chance at a first-team breakthrough when injuries to Shaw and Malacia struck after a solid pre-season. But Ten Hag opted to send him out on loan to Granada and the 20-year-old has still not made an appearance for United.
After getting a taste of regular football with Granada in La Liga, he could well negotiate a permanent move in the New Year.
Decision: SELL
Shola Shoretire
Shola Shoretire hasn't broken into the first-team under Erik ten Hag (Ash Donelon/Getty Images)Shoretire appeared to have the world at his feet when he made his United debut in February 2021 at the age of 17. But after a loan to Bolton at the back end of last season, he doesn’t appear close to the first team. There is still time for the 19-year-old forward, but the club may well be open to selling if a decent offer arrives.
Decision: SELL
Will Fish
Fish is on loan at Hibernian for the second successive season and the 20-year-old centre-back could seal a permanent move north of the border at the end of the campaign.
Decision: SELL
Joe Hugill
The 20-year-old striker made headlines when Sunderland shelled out £300,000 to sign him as a 16-year-old and he is still showing promise. Hugill has scored six goals in eight Premier League 2 games this season and is reportedly in line for a new United contract, which will run for three years with the option of another.
He impressed Ten Hag on the pre-season tour of the United States and the club prevented him from going out on loan in the summer to keep a close eye on him. Sunderland are among the sides keen on a loan in January, but his long-term future lies at United.
Decision: KEEP
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