Several Manchester United players could be let go because minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to want to bring in four new players.
Erik Ten Hag has had a rough start to his third season as Red Devils manager. An increase of one year was given to him by Ratcliffe earlier this summer, and he has gotten a lot of support in the trade market. During a time when almost £200 million was spent, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, and Manuel Ugarte all joined.
Even though they beat Fulham 1-0 at home in their first game, the next two games have brought up more questions than answers. An embarrassing 3-0 loss to fierce rivals Liverpool and a disappointing 2-1 loss to Brighton in the last minute were both disappointing for Manchester United.
According to a story in the MEN, INEOS and his team are planning for the future. They want to bring in a new defender, midfielder, winger, and left back, which is a warning to the present players that their jobs may be at risk. Mirror Football looks at the players who would be in danger if these new players came in.
It’s possible that Dutch defender Malacia will never play for the Red Devils again. He hasn’t played in over a year after having knee surgery and missed the whole 2023–24 season.
The Dutch player came to Old Trafford in 2022 with the goal of competing for a spot on the first team as a left back. However, he was forced to go under the knife after only a few shows and has since become out of sorts.
If Ratcliffe and United want to get a new left-sided defender, which they clearly need since Diogo Dalot is currently playing right back, then Malacia could be sold to make room.
The hurt-filled Luke Shaw, who has also been hurt since the start of the season, is another possibility whose first-team minutes could be cut down a lot while the club supposedly looks for someone who can fill the spot permanently.
The Victor Lindelof
Lindelof, a versatile defender, has been useful for United since he joined in 2017. He has played over 250 times for the team at Old Trafford.
But this summer was bad for the 30-year-old because Yoro and De Ligt came in and put him further down the list behind players like Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez.
Lindelof would probably be the first player to go if United wanted to sign a new star. This could be Jarrad Branthwaite, a well-known target whose £70 million price tag was too high for United to pay this window.
Several possible moves for the Swedish player were talked about in the summer. That included the chance of a trade with Everton in which Branthwaite would have gone to the other team. But the deal didn’t go through, and Lindelof will stay at Old Trafford at least until January.
Ma’am Mount
A new playmaker is said to be on the way, which means that players like Mount may not be able to stay at Old Trafford for much longer.
The English player came from Premier League foes Chelsea in 2023 in a deal worth £55 million, but he hasn’t been able to get off to a good start because of a string of injuries. The beginning of the season looked good for him, but he got hurt again in United’s second game against Brighton. He is now expecting to be out for a few weeks with a leg injury.
It’s true that the 25-year-old is still at the top of his game, but his constant injuries could make it hard for him to secure a spot in the starting lineup, which could lead to him being traded away.
The Mail says that United is interested in signing Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. He can play both midfielder and wide, which is exactly what the club needs.
Antony
Antony, a Brazilian striker, is another player who might get a replacement. So far, the huge fee that the Red Devils paid for Antony’s signing (about £86m) has not been justified.
In his two seasons in England, he has only scored five goals in the Premier League. Before scoring against Liverpool in the FA Cup last season, he went over a year without scoring in any tournament.
It was said that the people in charge at Old Trafford were ready to sell him this summer, but for now he is still on their books. Reports say that Fenerbahce are still interested in Antony and could make a move before their own Deadline Day on September 13. A deal didn’t happen before the end of the English transfer window.
