Manchester United are open to selling several more senior players this summer as they aim to raise funds for further signings. United have been extremely active in the transfer window, wrapping up two signings in recent days, with French defender Leny Yoro following Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee to Old Trafford.
Zirkzee should ease the goal-scoring burden on Rasmus Hojlund, while highly rated teeneager Leny Yoro joins the defensive ranks after the departure of compatriot Raphael Varane. United are considering signing another defender before the window closes, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt among their top targets, while Paris Saint-Germain’s defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte is being considered.
United’s Transfer State of Play
Two big signings and potentially more to come
Yoro’s fee could rise to £59million, while Zirkzee cost £42.5million, so it is clear that United must balance the books with player sales. United have already offloaded Mason Greenwood, Willy Kambwala and Alvaro Fernandez for significant fees, while Donny van de Beek has also left. Anthony Martial’s departure as a free agent at the end of last season is a significant boost for the wage bill. His final United contract saw him collect £250,000 each week.
Man United’s arrivals and departures in 2024 summer transfer window | |
|---|---|
Arrivals | Departures |
Joshua Zirkzee | Mason Greenwood |
Leny Yoro | Willy Kambwala |
Alvaro Fernandez | |
Donny van de Beek | |
Omari Forson | |
Raphael Varane | |
Anthony Martial | |
Brandon Williams | |
Shola Shoretire | |
There remains plenty of fat to be trimmed in the United squad and ESPN reports that the Glazers are happy to sell Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while the club will also listen to offers for Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro. The report also says United are willing to let Antony leave on loan, provided the club that takes the Brazilian covers his wages.
Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka, McTominay and Eriksen have all entered the final 12 months of their contracts at United and each player could bring in a significant sum to boost United’s transfer kitty. Casemiro has two years to run on his contract but underperformed last term and is a drain on the club’s finances. The Brazilian is United’s highest-paid player, earning £350,000 per week.
New Structure Reaping Rewards
Major changes since Ineos arrival
The willingness to shift the players whose contracts expire in 2025 signifies a change in approach by United since the implementation of a new football structure. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos purchased a minority stake in United earlier this year and, as part of the terms of the agreement, assumed full sporting control of the club. Since then, new CEO Omar Berrada, new sporting director Dan Ashworth and new technical director Jason Wilcox have brought sophistication to United’s recruitment and sales processes.
The ESPN report cites a source that revealed how the Glazers used to operate when a player was into the final year of their contract. The source said: “Joel and Avram [Glazer] would be happy to get rid of Wan-Bissaka or Lindelof. But they would look at the numbers and ask ‘How much could we get for them and how much would it cost to replace them?’ When they were told that it would cost half as much to keep the players until the end of their contract rather than get rid and sign a replacement, the answer would always been to keep them for another year. They would rather pay £10m in wages and lose the player on a free than spend an extra £20m to sign a better player to replace them.”