Erik ten Hag is keen to streamline his Manchester United squad this summer, with Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho, Fred and Scott McTominay all reportedly up for sale. However, the Red Devils may find it difficult to offload their unwanted players due to the cost of their transfers and wages.
The Independent report that Maguire, Sancho, Fred and McTominay are all surplus to requirements and United are open to offers for them, but will not let them go cheaply. Maguire cost United £80m from Leicester City as recently as 2019 and they would reportedly be asking for around £50m for him this summer, although his form has been so bad over the last year that any such figure seems unlikely. West Ham are interested in the England defender, while other Premier League clubs have been linked, but they would not expect to pay more than £35m for him.
Jadon Sancho signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73m in 2021 but has failed to make anything like the impact that was expected of him when he signed with great fanfare. Ten Hag is happy to move on from the England winger, but again transfer fee and wages are a problem, with Tottenham a mooted destination but no progress made on a possible move.
Fred was another huge outlay for United, costing £47m from Shakhtar in 2018, however, with just one year left on his contract the Red Devils would not expect a massive fee for him, with Fulham interested in him. McTominay came through the youth ranks with Manchester United so there is no worry about recouping money spent, but the club would expect a decent fee for the Scotland international. Newcastle and West Ham are interested in the midfielder who would likely cost around £30m.
Given the financial implications of selling these players, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United will be able to offload their unwanted stars this summer. Maguire and Sancho were both record signings for the club and they may struggle to get anywhere near their original transfer fees for either player. Fred and McTominay could be easier to move on due to their contracts running down, but it is clear that Erik ten Hag has his work cut out if he is to streamline his squad this summer.
At the same time, Manchester United have limited funds available for new signings and selling some of their fringe players could help free up some much-needed cash for new arrivals. With the transfer window now open, it will be interesting to see how the Red Devils approach the summer window and whether they can manage to offload some of their unwanted stars.