The coming offseason could be one of the most important in recent Manchester United history. The appointment of Erik ten Hag has already been confirmed, while the former Ajax manager is well aware that his playing squad will require almost a complete overhaul. Several first team players are out of contract in the summer, while various others face uncertain futures.
Departing free agents
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, and Lee Grant are all out of contract on June 30 this year. According to the Manchester Evening News, the expectation is all five will leave Man United in the summer, having either failed to agree new terms or because they are considered surplus to requirements.
In the case of Pogba, protracted contract renewal talks had been ongoing for several months, although despite offering a significant wage increase, the French international continually stalled on making any firm commitment. Likewise, media reports emerged that indicated Pogba had already told his teammates he would be leaving.
Mata, Cavani, and Grant were never likely to be offered contract renewals, although the situation surrounding Lingard was arguably more frustrating, from an outside perspective. The club had spurned several opportunities to sell the player before his contract expired, following an impressive loan spell at West Ham United in 2021, but now United won’t receive a single penny.
These five players will be joined by a sixth departure, given that Nemanja Matic has also announced his departure at the end of the season. The Serbian midfielder and the club did have an option to extend his contract, although after giving the situation some considerable thought, he decided it was best to leave and seek alternative opportunities elsewhere.
Futures in doubt
Along with the six inevitable departures, the immediate futures of several other players is in serious doubt, given that new boss Ten Hag is expected to wield the axe in pre-season. Indeed, the Dutchman has already told players they must return to the club two weeks early, as he seeks to undertake a complete and thorough evaluation of the remaining players.
In recent weeks there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, especially after what has been such a disappointing season for the team. Having failed to qualify for the Champions League next season, some reports have suggested he might look to leave Manchester United, although recent comments from the Portuguese superstar would suggest such thoughts are far from his own mind.
Speaking exclusively via the official manutd.com website, Ronaldo talks about Ten Hag with plenty of optimism. “Things need to change the way he wants,” acknowledged Ronaldo. “We are happy and excited,” underlined the veteran 37-year-old. But when the new manager arrives, the changes he wants could prompt the end for other players at United.
Amidst an expected shake up of the defence, injury prone central defender Eric Bailly could be offloaded, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka might be another player offloaded, amidst suggestions that Ten Hag appears to prefer what Diogo Dalot can offer at right-back. In attack, there have been doubts concerning the form of Marcus Rashford, prompting some deep thoughts about whether he should be kept or sold.
Influx of new arrivals
Depending on which reports you might choose to believe, Ten Hag will have anywhere between 120 million and 200 million to spend in the summer. Regardless of the precise figure available, Ten Hag will obviously need to spend his transfer budget very wisely, aiming to spark a successful turnaround for this huge club as quickly as possible.
Even before the current season reaches its conclusion, some bookies are already starting to publish outright winner odds for the 2022-23 Premier League season. Amidst the expected influx of new signings, Manchester United remain way behind Manchester City and Liverpool in the betting stakes, indicating the huge job facing Ten Hag.
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Looking ahead to the immediate future, odds for Manchester United could fluctuate over the coming months, should the expected host of new signings provide sufficient encouragement. It will be a very busy summer for the club, as Ten Hag seeks to make the team competitive and able to challenge for top honours, including a serious push to challenge Man City and Liverpool for the Premier League title.
