It was another very disappointing season at Manchester United, an occurrence that is becoming all too common under the Ed Woodward regime. By most indications, and the brutally honest assessment of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, next season may not be much better.
This rebuild could take some time, and that means a summer transfer window filled with many comings and goings. Here are four players who can go and not cost their new team anything at all in transfer fee.
He’s one of the nicest guys in all of the beautiful game, but he didn’t agree to the last contract offer that United have made. Since moving over in January of 2014 from Chelsea for a then club record £37.1 million (that sum is “cute” by today’s transfer fee standards), he’s been a strong leader in the dressing room.
One of the most rah rah United players in recent memory, the Basque Country native has already confirmed his exit. It seems likely that the 2016-17 United Player of the Year will move to Paris Saint-Germain, but a return to Atletic Bilbao could still be a possibility.
On his way out Herrera has pleaded with the fans for patience, letting them know just how much work needs to be done at Old Trafford.
Antonio Valencia
A weird situation, just like Gary Cahill at Chelsea, in that you have a defender who held the captaincy but hardly ever played. There is a club option for the Ecuadorian, but the club have already officially announced Valencia’s departure.
Not the most fitting or appropriate end for a man who has served the club for a very long time.
James Wilson
Not much of a factor, so not really worth discussing all that much but he still falls into this category, and thus he bares mentioning. There is a club option on him, but after repeatedly going out on loan (most recently with Aberdeen), it’s clear that there’s no place for the striker at United.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.