Keep, sell, loan: the major transfer decisions Man Utd must make this summer including huge call on £80m man

Manchester United have reportedly decided that almost everyone on the squad is up for sale this summer should the price be right – and there will be a lot of key decisions to be made over the future of current members of Erik ten Hag’s team this summer as Ineos look to oversee a rebuild which will determine how the club get on in the coming years. So who should they keep, who should they sell, and who could benefit from a temporary break from life at Old Trafford?

We’ve looked over all of the senior players whose future seems to be up in the air to determine what the club should try to do over the coming transfer window – leaving out only a handful of players whose future is assured (Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho) and a couple of players who are back-ups or for whom the answer appears to be obvious and uncontroversial (there is little real argument for selling André Onana, Lisandro Martínez or Luke Shaw, for instance, and no particular debate over Altay Bayinidir’s future).

Harry Maguire

Let’s start with a big one – Maguire cost a small fortune when he arrived from Leicester City back in 2019 and has had more ups and downs than a tourist at Alton Towers since, but ended the 2023/24 season with some pretty consistent form. The problem is that, while he has become a solid part of the defence once more, his contract is up next season. As such, if a club like West Ham United show interest again, there is a pretty convincing argument for moving him on for a fee instead of losing him for nothing down the line, especially given that the quality of his performances is scarcely guaranteed. Sell, but only if there’s a decent fee involved.

Victor Lindelöf

The Swedish centre-half is in a similar situation. At his best, he has been half-decent but little better and he too can leave on a free next summer. With Maguire, there is a proven ceiling which is worth holding out for – with Lindelöf, the flashes of excellence have been fewer and further between, even if the low ebbs haven’t been quite so low. Sell.

Diego Dalot

There may be a claim that the whole squad is for sale but unless someone comes in with an unexpectedly meaty offer, there’s no real chance that the versatile full-back goes anywhere. He’s one of the few defenders in the team to have enjoyed a decent season and who can provide genuine flexibility and depth in multiple positions. Keep.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The former Crystal Palace defender is something of an anachronism in an era when most wing-backs are expected to be serious attacking threats rather than defenders – he’s a superb tackler but offers little in the final third. Like Maguire and Lindelöf, he only has one year left on his contract and it’s hard to come up with a coherent argument for keeping him in the side when so much more attacking impetus is needed from out wide. Sell.

Tyrell Malacia

The Dutch left-back spent the entirety of last season sidelined by a serious knee injury, a real blow for a talented player who had yet to really establish himself at Old Trafford. With Shaw almost certainly staying, it may well make sense to find Malacia somewhere else to play next season while he regains fitness and form. A player who has to get some starting minutes next year to kick on. Loan.

Willy Kambwala

The teenage defender was called upon a few times last season and offered up a mixed bag of performances – he was excellent on a couple of occasions but on other times, such as in the away defeat to Bournemouth, his inexperience was exposed. There’s a solid argument for loaning him out to gain that crucial experience but with defensive depth such a big issue last season, we’d probably keep hold for now and consider finding a loan club for him in January if he isn’t needed. Keep, for now.

Scott McTominay

There was a debate about the Scotsman being sold last summer, which would have been a disastrous move in the long run – McTominay may not be the flashiest player but his endless willingness to run and link up defence and the forward line made him crucial to United’s attacking play. United need him more than they probably know. Keep, keep, keep.

Sofyan Amrabat

Not actually on the books at Old Trafford right now, the Moroccan international was only on loan from Fiorentina with United having a €25m option to buy. Given that the midfielder we saw at Old Trafford bore very little resemblance to the energetic holding player who made such a big impact at the 2022 World Cup, we’d say do not buy.

Casemiro

Speaking of players who were unrecognisable from their past glories, the former Real Madrid man went from culture-setter to one of the weakest links in the team over the last year and now that there are reports of big-money interest in the 32-year-old, there’s only one correct decision, even though he was once a great player. Sell, and laugh all the way to the bank.

Christian Eriksen

The Danish midfielder is reportedly free to leave this summer even though he has one year left on his current deal with the club. A talismanic performer for his country, the 32-year-old seemed off the pace this past season and with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount also in the squad, there is little pressing need to keep him. His return to top-level football after a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 is one of the most joyous stories of the past few years, but a ruthless assessment suggests that it may be time to move on. Sell.

Bruno Fernandes

Speaking of Bruno, there have been reports that Bayern Munich made enquiries about the Portuguese playmaker, and if the club are serious about everyone being up for sale… They would still have to be quite mad to let him go, however. He’s by far and away the best and most consistent attacking threat they have, their only true creative player and a player who very rarely lets his side down. As clear a keep as can be.

Mason Mount

It was never really clear where he was meant to play after United signed him from Chelsea, and that’s no clearer now after an injury-riddled first campaign. The fact remains that Mount is a fine player who has offered club and country a lot of class in the past, and it would be absurd to give up on him just yet – but Ten Hag still needs to work out what his role is. Keep.

Antony

Sell. Just sell.

Marcus Rashford

It seems extraordinary that, a year on from what was arguably his best season yet, there is a large group of fans who would be happy to see the back of Rashford. Certainly, he is capable of playing at a level few of his team-mates can aspire to, but the key is whether those off-field disciplinary issues are an issue that can be resolved and left in the past or whether they’re symptomatic of a man who needs a change of scenery. Still, it would be an almighty gamble to move him on. Unless there is very good reason to believe it’s necessary on a personal level, keep.

Mason Greenwood

It’s very hard to discuss Greenwood’s situation in any detail without running into libel laws headfirst, but it seems very unlikely that he won’t leave Old Trafford this summer. There is, apparently, plenty of interest and United should take advantage for a number of reasons. Sell.

Amad Diallo

The Swedish forward didn’t get many chances to impress last season but almost invariably did when given the chance. If Ten Hag doesn’t think he’ll figure extensively in the starting line-up next year then there’s a case to be made for finding another loan move for him, but he injects energy and threat into an attack that lacks it all too often. Keep.

Facundo Pellistri

The Uruguayn winger spent last year on loan at Granada, scoring twice in 15 games as his side were relegated from La Liga. Now 22, there is little evidence that he’s up to the level required to contend for minutes at Old Trafford. Unless he adds necessary depth, it’s probably time to sell.