Manchester United plan to sell eight players to fund a big-money move to sign Elliott Anderson this summer. The Nottingham Forest midfielder, who is valued at £100m, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to fund his deal through the sale of several team members. According to The Sun, Rasmus Hjøjlund, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Andre Onana and Marcus Rashford are all set to be let go.
Hoylund and Rashford have buyout clauses in their loan deals with Napoli and Barcelona respectively, so they are expected to be worth at least £60m. Significant losses are expected for Ugarte and Zirksee, while United reportedly need £19m from Onana to avoid regulatory compliance issues around profitability and sustainability. The departure of Tyrell Malasia, Jadon Sancho and Casemiro as free agents will further ease the burden on the wage bill.
His replacement’s departure has already been confirmed and the club expects Anderson to take over as his successor. Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Adam Wharton, Joao Gomez and Carlos Baleva are among the other midfielders linked with a move to United.
Anderson appears to be United’s priority target, but United are almost certain to face a competition for his signature, with Manchester City also on the list as they face the possibility of losing Rodri over the next few transfer windows. Regardless of who takes over permanently, strengthening the midfield will remain United’s top priority, with two additions likely to be made if Ugarte succeeds Casemiro.
Securing Champions League football is absolutely essential to generating enough funds for that transfer strategy. United currently sit third in the Premier League table and are well placed to return to Europe’s strongest league next season, with five clubs set to qualify depending on their league position.
Due to the international break and the FA Cup quarter-finals, there will be 24 days between the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth and Leeds United on Monday 13th April.
Bruno Fernandes is a 31-year-old in breathtaking form and will be looking to make it five games in a row. In addition to finding a replacement for Casemiro, United may soon need to turn their attention to finding a long-term successor to Fernandes.
West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes is reportedly under consideration, with the Portuguese midfielder expected to be recommended by United’s captain.
The Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League could accelerate that plan, with Fernandes potentially available for a reduced fee and unlikely to remain at the London Stadium to play Championship football.
United will also need to expand their squad if they are to return to European competition, with a particular need for depth in midfield compared to options up front and at the back.
