Soccer

Sancho, Martial and Maguire under threat in Manchester United clearout

At least 15 players’ futures in doubt under plan to regenerate finance as Ten Hag eyes an elite No 9 and stronger midfield

Jadon Sancho is among the Manchester United players whose futures look uncertain this summer. Photograph: Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Jadon Sancho is among the Manchester United players whose futures look uncertain this summer. Photograph: Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Jamie Jackson
Fri Apr 21 2023 - 14:44

Erik ten Hag will oversee a summer clearout of senior Manchester United players, with Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf, Scott McTominay and Fred heading a list of at least 15 whose futures are under threat.

The manager will do so to generate finance to reinvest in the squad and enhance its baseline standard. Thursday’s 3-0 debacle at Sevilla that eliminated United 5-2 on aggregate from the Europa League has concentrated Ten Hag’s assessment of his squad as he seeks to continue his rebuild.

Other players Ten Hag is considering allowing to leave include Donny van de Beek, Anthony Elanga, Dean Henderson and Brandon Williams. Alex Telles, Hannibal Mejbri and Eric Bailly, who are out on loan, are almost certain to depart and the out-of-contract Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are definitely leaving.

Not all those whose futures are in doubt will depart because Ten Hag needs to balance moving on players he does not want as first choices with making a small number of elite signings and keeping an appropriate squad depth. Regarding Maguire and Lindelöf, he may not sanction a sale of both because it could be difficult to buy two new first-team squad centre-backs; the former is the favourite to be let go.

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David de Gea, part of the defensive horror show with Maguire in Seville, is yet to sign a new contract but it is understood he may do because Ten Hag’s priorities in the summer market are an elite No 9 and strengthening midfield. Ten Hag also has to decide whether the loans of Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst should become permanent deals. It is thought the latter may not be retained but that a deal may be sought with Bayern Munich for Sabitzer.

The amount Ten Hag is able to spend will be shaped by whether there is a takeover by the Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani or Sir Jim Ratcliffe or any injection of money from investment funds interested in working alongside the Glazers.

It is a sign of Sancho’s failure to live up to expectations that United may listen to offers for a winger who cost an initial £73 million (€82.5 million) from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021. Maguire joined from Leicester for £80 million (€90.4 million) in 2019 and remains the world’s most expensive defender. An initial £34.7 million (€39.2 million) was paid to Ajax for Van de Beek, who has been unable to hold down a place. – Guardian