Sport
Only three Manchester United players are said to be ‘off limits’ this summer transfer window
The club could be set for a big clear-out before next season.
Danny Jones -
30th April 2024 
Manchester United are reportedly open to offers on practically their entire first-team squad as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS Group look to rebuild the squad from the ground up, with just three current players said to be ‘off-limits’ in the upcoming transfer window.
The eye-opening report by The Telegraph‘s James Ducker has revealed that the latest assessment by Ratcliffe and his new executive board, including new technical director Jason Wilcox, is that they would be “prepared to listen to offers for the majority of their first-team squad this summer”
While Ducker stresses that the club are not actively looking to offload senior stars like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez for example, it is now thought they “are keeping a very open mind about sales and will judge any offers on their own merits.”
However, is said that some players that are simply not for sale – well, at least three.
As per the bombshell report when it comes to the business Man United are planning this summer, only homegrown talent Kobbie Mainoo, rising star Alejandro Garnacho and recently acquired young striker Rasmus Højlund have been deemed off-limits by the new co-owners.
With 30 goal contributions between the two attacking players across all competitions and still so early on in their careers, it’s not hard to see why, not to mention Mainoo looks to be one of the most promising midfielders in the country at the moment, securing an England call-up in his debut season to boot.
A big factor in the apparent approach is the club having now officially dropped out of the Champions League following their disappointing home draw against Burnley, which will see a significant dip in revenue, meaning that potential salary cuts of around 25% off the total wage bill could be floated.
However, players like Rashford, Casemiro and Raphaël Varane who have big contracts could prove to be an obstacle, meaning their future at Old Trafford may be less assured than previously. With over half a billion spent over the last three summer transfer windows, it is thought a ‘buy-to-sell’ policy is likely.
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As reported earlier this month, Wilcox’s arrival at the club included not only an assessment of the current squad and which areas need to be improved – with United said to be targeting another striker, right-sided centre-back and a midfielder come June – but of the manager himself too.
Also broken by Ducker, the new director is said to be looking at Erik ten Hag’s “strengths and weaknesses” as the season draws to a close over the next few weeks, with the Dutchman’s future at the club also still up in the air following a difficult season.
ten Hag‘s training sessions, in particular, are said to be of interest, especially given the Red Devils’ lack of a clear tactical style or any discernible patterns of play since he joined back in April 2022.
Whether faith will be placed in him as it has with the likes of Mainoo, Garnacho and Højlund remains to be seen but it looks set to be a big summer transfer window for United, even if not entirely in terms of spending. Which would about you, Reds: which players would you definitely want to keep?
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Featured Images — Manchester United (via Instagram)
