There will be some change at Manchester United this summer, but just how much remains to be seen. Erik ten Hag will be the new manager and he’ll have at least a fair amount of autonomy about the future direction of the club. We know that for sure, and we also know that five players are set to leave on free transfers: Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata.
Beyond the Bosman bunch, Old Trafford will also sound out offers for, according to an ESPN report: central defenders Eric Bailly (his recent Instagram post didn’t help the cause) and Phil Jones, forward Anthony Martial and fullbacks Alex Telles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Manchester United Summer Transfer Window Keep or Cut? Series
Midfielders Attack Defenders Goalkeepers
You also have the question in goal, still, with Dean Henderson wanting out (naturally), but the club perhaps more likely to loan the Englishman out yet again.
The ESPN report also says that Ten Hag’s summer transfer window budget, with the target of three new players, will be “set at between £100 million and £150m” and also “bolstered by any outgoings.”
That’s obviously a world away from the remarks Interim Manager Ralf Rangnick made over the weekend, in which he claimed up to ten new players could come to the club. It’s all a matter of math, balance sheets and budgets. United are absolutely printing money right now, and they have spent big time on players.
But they’ve spent foolishly, and made a major mess out of it all. Whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo stays (we’re thinking he will, at least one more year) they badly need a new striker. An even bigger need is midfield, more likely in the defensive portion. One player in that position group, Scott McTominay, called out the entire club, from the top to the bottom.
If an actual current player is saying this publicly, well then imagine how bad it is behind the scenes. United, out of the running for the Champions League qualification slots, are now very much in danger of falling out of Europa League qualification. Up next for United is a Thursday night clash with Chelsea.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.