Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready for a massive Man Utd clearout
Manchester United could clear out some high-profile players under the orders of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, according to a report.
Ratcliffe is ready to make his mark after gaining control of Man Utd’s football operations. There will be plenty of intrigue ahead of their first transfer window with the INEOS chief at the helm.
While Man Utd might be dreaming of some big buys, they will have to remain sustainable and that will mean selling some players.
A report from ESPN on Thursday has revealed that up to a dozen players currently on Man Utd’s books are at risk of being sold or released in the summer.
In defence, Ratcliffe could encourage Man Utd to listen to offers for Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Raphael Varane is also unlikely to stay as the end of his contract approaches.
In midfield, the likes of Casemiro, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen could be shifted.
And up front, Man Utd are ready to release Anthony Martial when his contract expires.
In addition to those eight existing members of Erik ten Hag’s squad, Man Utd will invite offers for some players who are currently out on loan.
The report names Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Donny van de Beek (Eintracht Frankfurt), Facundo Pellistri (Granada) and Brandon Williams (Ipswich Town) as players who might not be reintegrated after their loan spells.
In contrast, Ratcliffe recently said he would oversee a new decision-making process about Mason Greenwood after his season with Getafe.
Man Utd ready to reinvest to ‘speed up progress’
Once they have raised some funds for their own recruitment, Man Utd will focus on adding more quality to their squad, particularly in defence and attack.
How much money they will be able to make from the players they are trying to sell – some of whom cost huge fees when they arrived at Old Trafford – remains to be seen.
As stated, Varane and Martial are candidates to leave on free transfers. Maguire, Casemiro and Eriksen are all above the age of 30, as will Lindelof be by the start of next season, so it is reasonable to assume their values will be lowering.
Wan-Bissaka is only under contract for one more season too, so his value has likely dropped compared to what Man Utd invested to sign him from Crystal Palace five years ago.
In fact, the only member of this group of players Man Utd can expect to make a significant profit on might be their own academy graduate, McTominay.
Nevertheless, the clear-out has been designed in order to ‘speed up progress on the pitch’, according to the report.
Man Utd are five points away from the top four in the current Premier League table, with 13 games left to play. They remain in the FA Cup, but failed in their Carabao Cup defence and have been knocked out of the Champions League.
