Ten Hag Wields the Axe, Five Players on the Chopping Block
Erik ten Hag is rumored to be planning another significant purge of his starting lineup, and Manchester United will reportedly consider bids for five stars during the January transfer window. It has been reported that Donny van de Beek, Anthony Martial, Raphael Varane, Casemiro, and Jadon Sancho have all been made available for a permanent transfer.
According to reports, United is concerned that in order to comply with Financial Fair Play standards, they will have to release players before adding any significant players to Ten Hag’s roster. No player, it is said, will be compelled to leave the team against their will.
Additionally, Ten Hag won’t approve of any exits that deplete the team. This could imply that, even though the United manager played down the possibility of adding players before the winter transfer window, replacements will be considered for anyone who departs in January.
Prior to the window, which will be Ten Hag’s fourth as head coach at Old Trafford, all bids for a quintet of stars will be considered. Although a mass exodus is allegedly not anticipated, players may leave if interested teams make compelling offers.
Varane, Casemiro, Martial, Sancho, and Van de Beek might all be let go, according to MEN. For various reasons, all five have found it difficult to fit into Ten Hag’s plans lately.
Varane has only made one start in the previous 13 games. Ten Hag called the Frenchman’s exclusion from the starting lineup for the Manchester derby in October “tactical,” but in the interim, he has only appeared in 12 Premier League minutes. Varane has been replaced by Harry Maguire, who was named the league’s November Player of the Month.
Co-mate Casemiro was first a revelation at Old Trafford and was signed by Ten Hag for £60 million in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian, who was a key player in the midfield during the League Cup victory and successful run for Champions League qualifying last season, has since suffered from injuries and poor form.
Due to a hamstring injury, Casemiro won’t be available until late December; but, given his worrying decline in performance, it’s expected that United will bring the former Real Madrid player back in January. Bids for striker Martial, whose substitution during Saturday’s humiliating 3-0 loss to Bournemouth was mockingly applauded by sections of Old Trafford, will also be considered.
Martial’s current deal is set to expire in the summer. According to reports, United will not activate the 28-year-old’s contract extension, and if no buyer is found by January, he will be free to leave.
Sancho, another attacker, may also be sold. He was kicked out of the first team in early September following a heated argument with Ten Hag. Although it currently seems improbable, the United manager emphasised that Sancho is welcome to return should he provide an apology.
Van de Beek, a midfielder, will be free to move on from his turbulent time at United in the meantime. The Netherlands international, who cost £34 million when acquired from Ten Hag’s Ajax in 2021, has not been able to secure a spot in Ten Hag’s United squad since his countryman’s appointment the following year.
The report also states that Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the right-back, is not sure what his future holds. The former Crystal Palace player’s contract has an extension clause that United will apparently activate; however, negotiations for a new contract for the 25-year-old are said to have stopped.