United plan clear-out
‹ ♦ Club to listen to offers for nearly all players ♦ ‹ Rashford could be sold to raise funds
By James Ducker NORTHERN FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT
Manchester United are prepared to listen to offers for the majority of their first-team squad this summer, apart from a clutch of rising stars, Telegraph Sport understands.
Old Trafford’s new hierarchy are thought to be ready to adopt an ultra-flexible approach to the transfer window, given their tight financial constraints and likely loss of Champions League revenues.
Agents and rival clubs’ scouting and recruitment chiefs are increasingly under the impression United’s new Ineos-led regime is keeping a very open mind over sales and will judge any offers on their merits.
Although not actively seeking to offload a player such as Marcus Rashford, for example, it is understood United would give genuine consideration to a credible offer for the struggling England striker, particularly if he indicated a desire to pursue a fresh challenge.
United are believed to be prioritising the recruitment of a striker, central midfielder and right-sided centre-half this summer but need to raise money through sales to boost what is otherwise expected to be a very modest transfer budget.
The impending absence of Champions League football at Old Trafford next season would be offset in part by a 25 per cent cut to salaries that players would have to take under the terms of their contracts.
But United would effectively operate a “sell-to-buy” policy if they missed out on Europe entirely, so restricted are their finances after a £555million spend over the previous three summers and the limits imposed by the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
That scenario appears unlikely but United – who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Burnley on Saturday that was met with boos by supporters – are locked in a battle with Newcastle for a Europa League spot. Victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final next month would offer an alternative passage into the Europa League.
Exciting young talents such as Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, of Bayer Leverkusen,
could be on the market and would ordinarily be of interest to United. Yet there is said to be little expectation among Old Trafford’s powerbrokers of the club being able to match the sort of £80million to £90million fees paid for players such as Harry Maguire and Antony in recent years unless there is a bumper summer of sales.
It is why Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team, incoming chief executive Omar Berrada and new technical director Jason Wilcox, are thought to be keeping such an open mind on potential outgoings.
Although the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, around whom United hope to build a highly successful team in the years to come, will be strictly off limits to wouldbe suitors, the club are believed to be reluctant to narrow their options elsewhere within the squad.
Rashford, 26, has endured a torrid season on and off the pitch since signing a new five-year contract worth £325,000 a week last July. On Friday, the England striker – who was booed off by United fans during their FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City – hit out at the “abuse” he says he has received for months.
Paris St-germain – who are due to lose France striker Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid – have previously expressed an interest in Rashford, whose wages combined with a hefty fee may be a significant obstacle for many clubs.
Striker Anthony Martial and defenders Raphael Varane and Brandon Williams are expected to leave as free agents at the end of the season and the huge wage savings there could free up room for a substantial investment.
Equally, if United sold a number of players who occupy the same position – such as Jadon Sancho and Antony in the wide-forward area – then that would have a direct impact on the positions they see fit to strengthen.
United loaned Sancho to Borussia Dortmund in January and are hoping to find a permanent buyer for the England winger.
Antony has been a disappointment since his £85million arrival from Ajax in September 2022 but United would probably have to be willing to take a hit on the forward.
Controversial £45million-rated striker Mason Greenwood, on loan at Getafe in Spain, is another who could be sold, while United will have to see what interest materialises in players such as right-back Aaron Wan-bissaka, centre-half Victor Lindelof and midfielder Donny van de Beek, among others.
United are also waiting to discover whether the Saudi Pro League is ready to commit to another big summer of spending, which could open up a valuable market for older, high-earning players such as Casemiro. The Brazil midfielder, 32, has two years left on a contract worth around £350,000 a week that severely limits his options in Europe.
Thomas Tuchel said Bayern Munich would need luck to overcome Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final, as he encouraged his side to play with freedom in tonight’s first leg at the Allianz Arena.
It represents a last chance for the 50-year-old, who will leave the club at the end of the season, to bow out with silverware, having lost the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen – the first time in 12 years they have not been champions. Bayern will assess the fitness of Konrad Laimer, Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano ahead of the meeting with 14-time European champions Real – who moved to within one win of the La Liga title on Friday – while Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane could also be doubts.
Tuchel promised his players would not be distracted by the “legend” of the side from the Spanish capital. “We need tactics, but also some luck,” he said. “You can achieve a lot with tactics. The approach is the car, and the players drive it.
“We need to find a good balance and moments where we have solutions. The players also need freedom to bring it to life. But we also need some luck. We need to coax out that luck a bit as well.
“Against Real, you’re obviously also competing against the legend, the shirt. We’ll focus on content.”
Bayern’s Harry Kane set a personal record during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, his two goals taking his tally for the season to 42, the most the 30-yearold has managed in a single campaign.
One striker Tuchel will be happy not to see in Munich is Karim Benzema, who left the Bernabeu for the Saudi Pro League last summer.
The France international scored four times across the tie when Real knocked out Tuchel’s Chelsea at the quarter-final stage two seasons ago, including the extra-time winner in Spain in a 5-4 aggregate win. “We faced Real twice with Chelsea, also previously with PSG and Dortmund,” he said. “The most notable difference from the last game with Chelsea is that Karim Benzema is gone. How they play has changed, also through Jude Bellingham.”