The highly anticipated Manchester United clear-out is gathering pace, with reports claiming four first-team stars could follow Willy Kambwala, Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood out via permanent sales.
Man Utd are working on no fewer than five major signings right now in what’s shaping up to be one of the most important summers in the club’s recent history.
To make room and free up funds to finance moves for Matthijs De Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and one of Leny Yoro and Jarrad Branthwaite, a mass exodus is taking shape.
Brandon Williams, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already departed via free agency.
The permanent exit of Donny van de Beek to Girona has been sealed. Elsewhere, Man Utd are primed to net roughly £27m from the sale of Mason Greenwood to Marseille and around £8.5m from Willy Kambwala’s move to Villarreal.
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But according to various reports, funds could also be generated from the sales of four more first-team stars.
Four more Man Utd stars up for sale
Firstly, Casemiro – who is among Man Utd’s highest earners – is in talks over a lucrative late-career switch to Saudi Arabia.
Discussions with Al-Ittihad have taken place and Man Utd are more than willing to shred Casemiro’s £350,000-a-week salary from their wage-bill.
Elsewhere, a fresh update from the Manchester Evening News claims offers are also being sought for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen.
The trio’s respective contracts all expire in the summer of 2025. As such, the current window represents United’s final chance to generate sizeable fees for the players.
Of course, sales in January would remain an option if buyers aren’t found this window. However, the trio will all be free to negotiate pre-contract agreements with overseas clubs once entering the final six months of their contracts.
Very few clubs would be willing to pay decent fees for players who’ll be available for free six months later too.
Man Utd ‘pushing hard’ to offload Lindelof
As such, the onus is on Man Utd to agree sales this summer and per the MEN, United are pushing particularly hard to offload Sweden captain Lindelof.
The 30-year-old has done little wrong in a United shirt, though the club’s aim of signing two new centre-backs means his importance will quickly diminish when the new faces arrive.
Wan-Bissaka, meanwhile, fell firmly behind Diogo Dalot in the pecking order at right-back last season.
Wan-Bissaka did get minutes in both full-back positions, though only because Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia missed the vast majority of the season through injury. When Dalot covered at left-back, Wan-Bissaka filled in at right-back and vice versa.
Eriksen’s stock fell following the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo who may already be the best midfielder at the club despite being just 18 years of age.
New sporting director Dan Ashworth has already made it his mission to tie Mainoo down to a new long-term contract. United’s decision NOT to sack Erik ten Hag appears to have helped their cause in that regard.
With PSG’s Manuel Ugarte being targeted to play alongside Mainoo, Eriksen’s importance at Old Trafford is only going one way.
Pellistri could also go, but Sancho might stay
Further sales could come if buyers are found for Facundo Pellistri and Jadon Sancho who is rated at £40m by United.
However, Sancho and manager Erik ten Hag have agreed to draw a line under their spat and the winger has returned to first-team training.
Retaining Sancho – assuming there are no further problems between the player and manager – may prove to be a wise decision.
Sancho shone during a six-month loan spell with Borussia Dortmund and there are serious question marks over the impact fellow wingers Marcus Rashford and Antony will make moving forwards.
Antony has flopped following his mega-money arrival from Ajax two seasons ago. Rashford is coming off the back of the joint-second worst goalscoring season of his career last term.
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