Manchester United are set to be one of the busiest clubs in Europe this summer, with new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in charge.
A complete overhaul is almost guaranteed to occur as Ratcliffe looks to change the culture at Old Trafford that’s seen a big club run into the ground.
This includes first-team players, backroom staff, and potentially even Erik ten Hag, whose job as Man United manager is under intense pressure due to a season of inconsistency and poor performance.
Despite a report from The Guardian stating that the boss won’t be sacked until the end of the season, his future beyond that looks extremely doubtful.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three players who Ratcliffe could send packing along with Ten Hag this summer.
1 Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane’s future as a Man United player seems to be in doubt, and he could be one of the first to make way at the end of the season.
There’s no doubt that when the French defender is on the field, he’s a consistent performer who brings success, but the problem lies in the fact that he’s extremely injury-prone, as shown by his nine games missed this season.
When that’s combined with the fact that he’s United’s second-highest earner, with a salary of £340k per week, it’s difficult to see Ratcliffe justifying the cost of an inconsistent return.
A report back in January from the Daily Mail stated that Man United have opted against handing Varane a new contract this summer, meaning that the 31-year-old will be allowed to walk for free if a lower wage isn’t agreed upon.
2 Antony
Since moving to England for a huge fee of £82m, Antony has failed to live up to his expectations, now losing his place in the side.
Over 25 Premier League matches this season, the winger has scored zero goals and provided just one assist, which simply isn’t good enough at the elite level.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Ratcliffe is keen to purchase a new right-winger after this campaign, with Michael Olise reportedly noted as a potential replacement for Antony, who’s scored seven goals and provided four assists in ten league starts.
A repeat of this season would simply be too damaging to Antony’s market value, which has dropped to just £24m, as per Transfermarkt, since his arrival, therefore meaning that the best option would be to move the Brazilian on.
3 Casemiro
Since returning from injury at the start of the year, Casemiro’s performance levels have dropped significantly, to the point where he’s now at the top of Ratcliffe’s list of departures, according to a report from Football Insider.
The 32-year-old has displayed a clear lack of athleticism and professionalism at times, with his lack of mobility causing United plenty of issues, with football content creator Liam Canning even saying that “Casemiro cannot run.”
Pass accuracy
82%
Possession lost
11
Tackles
3.1
Dribbled past
2.2
Ground duels won
47%
Fouls
1.2
As you can see by the table above, Real Madrid’s former star doesn’t really offer very much to the United side barring tackles, but his constant complacency on the ball frequently undoes his defensive work, which football reporter Josh Bunting has previously called him “awful” for.
Casemiro’s role in the side is to set the tempo of play and simply regain possession, but he’s now only winning 47% of his ground duels and being dribbled past 2.2 times per game, which makes Ten Hag’s side so vulnerable.
Even handed a chance at centre-back in the win over Coventry, that didn't go too well either with The Standard's Nizaar Kinsella giving him a 4/10 rating, taking specific note of a dreadful penalty in the shoot-out.
Furthermore, given the fact that he’s United’s highest earner on a wage of £350k per week without bonuses added to the mix, on top of his declining performances, it’s clear that the Brazilian simply has to be sold this summer.
Luckily, earlier this month, Fabrizio Romano confirmed via the United Stand’s YouTube channel that the midfielder is of interest to clubs from Saudi Arabia, and despite there being no offers thus far, it seems like a likely destination for the midfielder.
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