The Players Facing the Cut at Manchester United

Manchester United’s Europa League final showdown with Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao later this month doesn’t detract from the fact that the club has had yet another disappointing season domestically.

The Red Devils limped to an 8^th place finish in the league last season under Erik Ten Hag, sneaking into the Europa League courtesy of their FA Cup victory over Manchester City.

Whilst United didn’t exactly come into this season high in the Premier League betting odds, they certainly weren’t expected to find themselves in 16^th with just two games remaining.

With Erik Ten Hag’s replacement, Ruben Amorim expected to shake things up this summer, who is he likely to jettison from his underperforming squad? Read on to find out…

The (Almost) Guaranteed Departees

Two that are definitely guaranteed to leave are Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton, both of whom are retiring at the end of the season. Then two more who are almost guaranteed to leave are Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof, who are both yet to be offered contract extensions. The £290,000 a week saving on wages that the club will make by releasing the duo will go some way to helping with the summer rebuild.

The Potential Departees

Considering that Manchester United have a paltry 39 points from 36 games and have lost an incredibly 17 league games this season, it’s tempting to say that everyone (barring Bruno Fernandes) should be leaving this summer.

Despite that, the club need to keep some players in reserve for Amorim to build around, but the ones that the club most need to get rid of are:

Marcus Rashford: The 27-year-old isn’t a hot prospect anymore and frankly, he has blown cold more often than hot since the 2022-23 season so it’s time for a change, both for the club and for the player himself.

(This was the last time we have seen Marcus Rashford in good form.)

Casemiro: It’s hard to believe that former Real Madrid midfielder was just 30 when he joined the club in 2022, as many of his performances for United have been those of an ageing pro in his late thirties winding down his career. If Amorim wants success next season, he needs more legs and desire in his midfield than Casemiro can offer.

Joshua Zirkzee: The modern game has changed how we view strikers, but ultimately we still expect to see some sort of goal return from our forward players. Zirkzee’s paltry 3 goals in 32 Premier League games thus far tell the tale of his disappointing season in Manchester. Cutting our losses and getting rid this summer would probably be a good move for both parties.

Antony: The controversial Brazilian has been a sensation for Real Betis since joining on loan in January. Recently his superb free-kick away to Fiorentina helped to put the club on their way to a Europa Conference League final with Chelsea. Despite Antony’s good form though, it’s hard to see him salvaging his reputation at Old Trafford anytime soon, so a permanent move in the summer makes sense.

(Antony put this stunning free-kick past former United teammate David De Gea in the Conference League semi-final.)

Jadon Sancho: The once highly rated Borussia Dortmund forward has struggled to find anywhere near his best form since moving to England. His loan to Chelsea has failed to reinvigorate his stalled career, so this summer, he needs to move on and find a club where he can recapture his early promise.

Altay Bayindir: Backup goalkeeper is one of the easiest positions to recruit for in football, and this summer the club need to look at upgrading on their current option.

Luke Shaw: 6 games this season is a shocking total for a player on such a high wage, and especially one who has failed to find top gear in such a long time. Shaw’s Manchester United career has to come to an end this summer.

Tyrell Malacia: Currently on loan at PSV, it’s clear that Malacia doesn’t have a long-term future at United. The club should therefore accept any offers that are forthcoming for the full-back this summer.

In Summary

The scale of the task at hand really hits home when you look at a list like the one above. To improve next season, United not only need to find clubs for those players but also find suitable replacements.

At least they have a good track record of doing that, right? Right!?