The Red Devils are expected to be very active in the summer transfer window
Rebuilding at Manchester United is no longer a matter of the future, it is the present. The current season has been irregular, full of doubts, with technical decisions that have not always convinced and a squad that has lost its spark. The club are looking for a clean slate. With Sir Jim Ratcliffe consolidating his influence and a sporting restructuring underway, the summer transfer window is shaping up to be a turning point. No more half-measures: some big names are no longer in the club’s plans. There is a conviction within Old Trafford that it is time to make room, rejuvenate the project and adjust the squad to a more competitive idea.
Manchester United prioritising three sales as part of clearout in transfer window
Manchester Evening News has indicated that the club clearly intends to sell Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony. None of the three are considered for the new cycle. All three players are on loan and are not expected in pre-season. In addition, the club have decided to listen to offers for Rasmus Hojlund, while Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof will leave as free agents.
Jonny Evans could retire after an injury-marred campaign. Tyrell Malacia, currently at PSV, will also be transferred. The financial valuation varies: Rashford could leave for £40m, Antony for around £32.5m and Sancho for around £25m, although Chelsea could avoid that purchase with a penalty.
But are Manchester United making the right decisions? There are arguments for both sides. On the one hand, letting go of players with high contracts and poor performances can open up space for more committed players hungry to establish themselves. Antony has shown a better side at Betis, but he never justified his move to Manchester. Sancho, involved in controversy and without continuity, also failed to make a mark. Rashford, the most sensitive case, has failed to maintain consistency since his great campaign a couple of years ago. Injuries and his apparent disconnection have raised questions about his commitment. In that sense, cutting his losses could be healthy.
But there is an other side of the story. Rashford is a homegrown product, a local idol and still young. His sale could be perceived as a symbolic renunciation of the club’s DNA. Moreover, the fact that Hojlund – a striker who cost more than £70m just a year ago – is being considered for sale suggests an alarming lack of patience. The Dane has had moments of brilliance, and his age deserves a closer look before he is discarded.
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Also striking is the kind of decisions the club are making: many are leaving, but it is unclear who is coming in. Is there a coherent sporting plan behind it? Are these purely financial decisions? From another angle, perhaps this reflects an attempt to cut through the recruiting mistakes of recent years. If the new leadership wants to impose real change, it needs to stop protecting past decisions. But selling so much so fast, without building first, may result in an even weaker team.
There are reasons to justify these departures, but the lack of a clear vision for what comes next leaves legitimate doubts. United need more than a clean-up. They need identity, direction and sporting judgement. Because selling for the sake of selling is not enough.
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