Manchester United badly need a clear out this summer, club legend Wayne Rooney said to Sky Sports yesterday. The club’s all-time leading scorer is correct, and it is obvious that said clear out is actually long overdue. It should have happened a few transfer windows ago, but now with INEOS taking over the football operations, it is set to happen this summer.
Here are nine players who already are or should be on their way out this summer. Click on each player’s name where highlighted, for more on the given player’s situation.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United FYIs
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Man United Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
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Google Result Probability: Manchester United 31% Draw 23% Brighton 46%
Anthony Martial
Unreal that this guy has been on the books for the past two seasons, but hey, nobody really wanted him. One of the most injury prone players in United history, the las time he played was December 9th, where he went 56 minutes in a blowout at the hands of Bournemouth. His exit has already been confirmed.
Raphael Varane
Like Martial, he has already said his final goodbyes. It is just a bummer that United only had this guy when he was already on the downside of his career.
Harry Maguire
One of the most polarizing players in United history, when he’s awful, he is just plain AWFUL! However, he has his good moments too, and as last summer showed us, when West Ham pursued him, he still has value.
Antony
Total flop on all fronts. He’s one of the biggest mistakes that Erik ten Hag has made, and his horrible rate of production is only exacerbated by his exorbitant transfer fee.
Jadon Sancho
He’s not coming back from his BVB loan deal, we already know that. Actually, we’ve known that since the fall, but where does he go? Back to Borussia Dortmund on a permanent basis? He’s shown his quality there.
Marcus Rashford
On Marcus Rashford, Rooney said the following: “We all know Marcus has got the capabilities to play at the top level. I just wonder if, for Marcus himself, is it time to go play elsewhere? I don’t know.
“I think he has to ask himself that question. I want him to stay, to break records at this club. But he needs to get his head right, get his head down and get back to the player we know he can be.”
Rashford is kind of the face of the franchise right now, and that is very troublesome. When your most brand name player isn’t consistently quality, and not totally focused on football to boot, it is simply time to move on. Sell him
Mason Greenwood
It’s confirmed he’s not coming back, once the loan deal at Getafe expires, but where does he go?
Casemiro
Like Varane, he’s a guy they got from Real Madrid, for way too much money, who was already on the down side of his career.
Christian Eriksen
Good guy, and you have to wish him the best. He just didn’t fit into Ten Hag’s plans.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.