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Manchester United are ready to put six defenders onto the transfer list for the upcoming summer.
Erik ten Hag’s third transfer window is expected to be significant if the desired takeover is completed beforehand.
A world-class centre forward, competent attacking right-back, and modern-style goalkeeper are thought to be the priority incomings for the recruitment team at Old Trafford.
On the other side of things, however, there should be a major exodus from the current squad.
Midfielders Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay have already been linked with moves away from the club.
Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News has reported a refurbished list of who to expect to exit the doors of Carrington in the near future.
According to Luckhurst, “United view (Harry) Maguire as a sellable asset […] Phil Jones will be released while Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly‘s United careers should be mentioned in the past tense.”
He also mentioned Brandon Williams and Alex Telles as players that are “provisionally planned to be sold.”
Maguire has effectively been ostracised from the starting XI since Ten Hag lost his opening two Premier League games against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion. He has only featured in 24 percent of Premier League minutes this campaign.
Phil Jones was not included in any of the club’s squads for the various competitions this season.
Axel Tuanzebe was shipped down the road to spend the latter part of the season on loan at Stoke City in the Championship. He has only made five appearances for Stoke and has not featured for United in any capacity in two years.
Eric Bailly has spent the season on loan in France with Olympique de Marseille, but was banned for seven games in Ligue 1 after hospitalising an opponent for an absurd ninja-like challenge.
Brandon Williams has not racked up any first team minutes under Ten Hag after returning from a somewhat successful loan spell with Norwich City last season.
Alex Telles was sent to spend the season at Sevilla, who United face tomorrow in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals (first leg: 2-2), after Ten Hag made young left-back Tyrell Malacia his first signing last summer.
With such an exodus being planned, a new centre-back can undoubtedly be expected given Ten Hag and the hierarchy’s disapproval of the club’s current options within the squad.
Kim Min-jae has been linked, but would command a staggering transfer fee due to his stellar performances for Napoli and Aurelio de Laurentiis’ notoriously difficult negotiations.
Whether United can unearth a top-quality talent, who can be feasibly purchased and is happy to play back-up to Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martínez, is yet to be identified ‒ as is whether the same recruitment staff will be in their positions come the summer.
