Lingard among six players for sale as United pursue rebuild

United will listen to offers for six players this summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to raise funds to swell his transfer kitty.

Alexis Sanchez, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard and Diogo Dalot could all be sold if the right offers come in as the manager prepares to step up his Old Trafford rebuild.

Solskjaer’s priority in the transfer market is a right-sided forward, with Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho his leading target, but he would also like to bring in another striker and a centre-back if finances allow.

Given the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, an outlay greater than last summer’s net spend of £75million – when the arrivals of Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-bissaka and Daniel James were partly offset by the sale of Romelu Lukaku – is unlikely, especially after the £47million capture of Bruno Fernandes in January. But Solskjaer knows his budget will be boosted considerably if the club can offload fringe or unwanted players.

A priority is to remove Sanchez’s £400,000-a-week salary, which excludes bonuses, from the wage bill and United have been encouraged by the 31-year-old Chile striker’s refielder, cent return to form on loan at Inter Milan. United are contributing £175,000 a week towards Sanchez’s wages.

Roma are keen to extend 30-yearold Smalling’s successful loan for another season but United would like a guaranteed sale and talks are ongoing over a prospective £21 million deal.

Lingard, 27, could fetch the biggest fee and his situation is being monitored by a number of clubs in the Premier League and Europe.

Rojo, 30, is on loan at Estudiantes in his native Argentina, and the defender is surplus to requirements. United also now accept Jones’s fitness can no longer be relied upon, while right-back Dalot has struggled to convince Solskjaer.

Full-back Brandon Williams is thought to have needed six stitches in a cut around an eye after a collision late in United’s 2-2 draw against Southampton on Monday. But he is back training ahead of United’s game at Crystal Palace tomorrow, for which Luke Shaw is a doubt with an ankle problem.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester next month in recognition of his campaign to tackle food poverty.