Man Utd must sell to buy? What each of Ten Hag’s players might fetch and where they could go…
With renewed talk that Manchester United will have to sell players to fund new signings, we’ve gone through Erik ten Hag’s squad to assess what they might fetch and who might buy them…
Everybody at Old Trafford is pretty high on life and Erik ten Hag right now while they pursue a cup Treble and a return to the Champions League. The summer promises plenty, with gaps remaining in their squad that need filling or reinforcing.
But there are reports that, because of FFP/the Glazers (or a combination of the two), United will have to sell to buy this summer. Which means there will be exits a-plenty if they hope to raise whatever it might take to sign Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen.
So we’ve gone through the United squad and estimated how much each individual might fetch if they were taken to market, and where they might end up. Marcel Sabitzer, Wout Weghorst and Jack Butland don’t feature as they can’t sell what they don’t own.
We did this a year ago, and it was a lot simpler when they were sh*t…
David De Gea
Age: 32
Contracted until: 2023 plus one-year option
De Gea has given United a decision to make. He’s on an enormous salary, almost Alexis Sanchez money, which is considerably more than he’s worth. United would be mad to take up their option to extend for another year. But if they cut him loose, they will have to spend on another goalkeeper. If, as reports suggest, De Gea is open to staying with a hefty pay cut, that would probably suit everyone since he won’t get a better offer from anyone else in a half-decent league. If an agreement cannot be reached, he might finally find himself back in Madrid.
Destination: Atletico Madrid Price: Free
Luke Shaw
Age: 27
Contracted until: 2027
Shaw has either been indispensable or dead weight – with apparently no room for nuance – for much of his United career. Right now, he’s the former. He was one of the few players to be trusted by Ralf Rangnick and now Ten Hag has come to rely on him as first-choice left-back and first cover at centre-back. Since he’s just signed a new contract, he’s going nowhere. Which is no good for the purposes of this feature, so…
Destination: Newcastle Price: £45m
Tyrell Malacia
Age: 23
Contracted until: 2026
Ten Hag’s first signing is rather more of a project than his other recruits. There is potential, but he is undeniably raw. And sometimes daft. United won’t sell but they might be tempted to loan him out if it wouldn’t leave them short at left-back.
Destination: West Ham Price: loan
Raphael Varane
Age: 29
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
Very much the Rio to Martinez’s Vidic. A Rolls Royce of a defender, who says he’ll leave United only to retire at Real Madrid or Lens: “But Madrid seems complicated to me. Players don’t usually go back there. The most likely outcome is that I will finish in either Manchester or Lens.” Since Lens can’t afford whatever United might expect beofre his contract expires, we’ll take the ‘complicated’ option…
Destination: Real Madrid Price: £50m.
Lisandro Martinez
Age: 25
Contracted until: 2027
Old Trafford would burn if United took an offer on The Butcher. It’s a waste of our time and yours to even consider where he might go.
Harry Maguire
Age: 30
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
One half of United’s trophy-lifting committee is approaching a major crossroads. He can’t hardly claim to be first-choice stand-in for Martinez or Varane, with Shaw sometimes preferred by Ten Hag. Does he stick around as a cheerleader, or leave just as it is getting interesting at Old Trafford for the sake of playing some football? United will probably usher him politely towards the door but it’s up to him whether he walks through it. He might be tempted by Tottenham…
Destination: Tottenham Price: £40m
Read more: Maguire ‘s next club: Five options assessed as crunch Man Utd summer decision nears
Victor Lindelof
Age: 28
Contracted until: 2024 plus one-year option
Lindelof’s future likely depends on Maguire. United can afford to cut one centre-back; they can’t lose two without sourcing a replacement. Maguire would fetch more and Lindelof is better suited to being a back-up. But if he was to go…
Destination: Inter Price: £20m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Age: 25
Contracted until: 2024 plus one-year option
When we did this last year, Wan-Bisakka’s United career was circling the drain. Before the World Cup, it had flatlined completely. Somehow, though, Ten Hag has revived the £50million signing and turned him into a functioning right-back. He’s no Cafu but he no longer needs a map and compass to cross the halfway line. His form in 2023 will certainly attract more attention than just sentiment from Crystal Palace.
Destination: West Ham Price: £25m
Diogo Dalot
Age: 23
Contracted until: 2024
Dalot was Ten Hag’s undisputed first choice until he got injured – something he does rather a lot – which prompted Wan-Bissaka’s resurrection. United will want progress in contract talks otherwise they would be wise to sell in the summer while they still can.
Destination: Barcelona Price: £20m
Casemiro
Age: 31
Contracted until: 2026
What a f***ing player.
Destination: Statue on the forecourt Price: Priceless
Christian Eriksen
Age: 31
Contracted until: 2025
Another fantastic signing, and though he might not have been missed quite as badly as it was feared, Eriksen remains pivotal to Ten Hag next term, and through the run-in this season. For sh*ts and giggles…
Destination: Borussia Dortmund Price: £25m
Fred
Age: 30
Contracted until: 2024
With the arrival of Casemiro and Eriksen, it was assumed Fred would be the one squeezed out but the Brazilian has adapted to Ten Hag and enjoyed sometimes playing in a more advanced role while his compatriot locks the door behind him. No longer a figure of fun, now a very handy squad option whom Ten Hag would be loathe to lose if either party fannies around over a contract renewal.
Destination: Roma Price: £20m
Scott McTominay
Age: 26
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
Similar to Maguire, McTominay may have a decision to make this summer. Ten Hag would doubtless be happy to keep him around but he’s not getting the game time he might have hoped for, with Fred seemingly above him in the pecking order.
Destination: Newcastle Price: £35m
Bruno Fernandes
Age: 28
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
United’s captain in all but title, Fernandes stays. Ten Hag doesn’t know what he would do without the Portuguese because he never has to. The lad’s durability is astounding.
Destination: Real Madrid Price: £75m
Donny van de Beek
Age: 26
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
Poor Donny. It was thought he might have caught a break with the appointment of his old Ajax boss but his fortunes improved little before a knee injury ended his season. He needs a loan somewhere just to remind people he’s a footballer.
Destination: Abroad Price: loan
Marcus Rashford
Age: 25
Contracted until: 2024
Sign him up sharpish.
Destination: PSG Price: £60m
Jadon Sancho
Age: 23
Contracted until: 2026 plus one-year option
Still finding his rhythm again after spending some time away from the squad, Sancho and United will be banking on the Ten Hag effect rubbing off on him too. The 22-year-old has also shown he can play down the middle, and being useful in more ways than one will certainly enhance his status. A solid run-in will hopefully provide the platform for a breakout season next term and even if United were minded to cut their losses, suitors would want more evidence that Sancho is ready to kick on again of they are to fork out a fee the Red Devils might consider.
Destination: Chelsea Price: £45m
Read more: Jadon Sancho could prove to be Erik ten Hag’s greatest success story at Manchester United
Antony
Age: 23
Contracted until: 2027
The right winger is yet to shake off the show pony tag, or demonstrate that he can do more than pivot on his right foot. But the Brazilian is hardly the first young attacker to come from Eredivisie and take some time to adapt. Ten Hag still trusts him and the potential is there and even if it were not, there would be no market at the price United might demand to recoup enough of their investment.
Destination: PSG Price: £50m
Alejandro Garnacho
Age: 18
Contracted until: 2024
The teenager’s contractual status is a worry for United. He’s getting enough time to demonstrate that it is worth committing to the club but his form has certainly caught the attention of other big clubs who might promise the world if they can get him for cheap or even nothing. The palaver need not drag into the summer and beyond but it probably will.
Destination: Real Madrid Price: £40m
Anthony Elanga
Age: 20
Contracted until: 2026
Elanga emerged last season when simply doing what you are told was enough to elevate his status in a shambles of a squad. But it takes more than a good attitude to thrive under Ten Hag now the rest of the dressing room has bought in. A loan away from Old Trafford might be most preferable but Elanga could be pure profit for United this summer, with as many as a dozen clubs sniffing.
Destination: Borussia Dortmund Price: £20m
Anthony Martial
Age: 27
Contracted until: 2024 plus one-year option
Martial has blown more chances than he deserves. United will have to accept a hit on the Frenchman for whom they paid Monaco around £44million once all the add-ons were accounted for.
Destination: Tottenham Price: £30m
High-profile loanees
Dean Henderson
Age: 25
Contracted until: 2025 plus one-year option
Henderson is done at United. His problem is that his shop-window loan to Forest hasn’t gone wonderfully well, especially now they’ve signed Kaylor Navas. If he thought he was too good for United’s bench, he’ll hate being sat on Forest’s. There is talk of Spurs being interested, in which case, Henderson would walk to north London.
Destination: Tottenham Price: £20m
Alex Telles
Age: 30
Contracted until: 2024 plus one-year option
Telles has been in and out of the Sevilla side this season, largely due to injury, but the fact he was named in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup must be enough to tempt someone.
Destination: Sevilla Price: £10m
Eric Bailly
Age: 28
Contracted until: 2024 plus one-year option
A year at Marseille has done little to drum up interest in the mad b*stard. The best United can hope for is that someone, somewhere panics in the late stages of the window and chucks £10million at them.
Destination: West Ham Price: £10m