According to Sky Sports, Manchester United are preparing for a mass exodus of players this summer. There has already been plenty of rumours and speculation over who is heading to Old Trafford this summer.
Now it seems we have a story about a number of potential exits from the Manchester club this summer, as new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attempts to rebuild his squad for next season.
Three players out of contract
The list of potential exits from United this summer is a long one. A number of players are out-of-contract with the Red Devils this summer, including Juan Mata, Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera.
Valencia will leave the club, as he has not been offered a contract extension. The Sky Sports report claims that Herrera has agreed a lucrative move to PSG, while Mata is in talks with Barcelona over a move to Catalonia.
It would be hard to say that the team will miss Valencia, as he has barely featured this season. Mata has enjoyed varying success during his Red Devils career. The Spaniard has not hit the same heights in a United shirt as he did at Chelsea.
Herrera would arguably the biggest loss of the trio, as he has proven himself to be a highly reliable central midfield option.
Futures in the balance
Then there is the likes of former Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, centre-back Marcos Rojo and full-back Matteo Darmian, whose future at the club seems to be in constant doubt.
Sanchez has struggled to replicate the form he showed during his peak years at Arsenal with United. The Chilean star only joined the Red Devils in the January transfer window of 2018 in exchange for Henrikh Mkhitaryan. He has never seemed comfortable at United and it would not be a major surprise if he left.
Rojo has badly fallen out of favour with the club’s management. The fact that he was seen laughing and joking with Sergio Romero on the substitutes bench during the Red Devils 2-1 defeat against Wolves has not endeared him to United fans.
Sky claim that the centre-back has recently been training at Argentinos Junior in his homeland while out-of-favour in Manchester. He was also linked with a switch to Everton last summer. At this point, Rojo’s summer exit from the club looks almost inevitable.
Italian international Darmian is constantly linked with a move back to his homeland. It seems that this summer is no different. The difference is that he may actually leave this time around.
United need to improve for a title challenge
Manchester United have fallen way below expectations this season. The Red Devils form under form boss Jose Mourinho was poor, hence the Portuguese’s exit and the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as boss.
The Norwegian has somehow managed to get United back into the race for the Champions League spots this season. The Red Devils are two points behind fourth-place Arsenal with just six league games remaining.
United are now odds of 11/4 to finish in the top four this season, sixth favourites in fact to seal a top-four spot. In reality, for United to even be in contention after such a poor start to the season is remarkable.
Solskjaer has done a good job in lifting spirits amongst the squad. However, there is only so much he can do without changing the players at his disposal. If United are even thinking about challenging for the title in the near future then they have to improve the quality of players at the club.
Even without likely summer exits, the Red Devils squad is not good enough. Many of the players likely to leave the club are replaceable. It remains to be seen which United players will exit the club. However, one thing is for sure, there will be plenty of activity, both in and out of the club this summer.
Should Manchester United have a mass clear out this summer?
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
