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Manchester United limited transfer budget could bring the curtains down on the time of multiple players at the club with their £73 million investment headlining the list.
The Daily Mail reports that Jadon Sancho leads the way among 13 players United are happy to let go as they seek to add to their budget for the summer.
The English winger could be sold for as little as £45 million, a far cry from the days when United bought him for £73 million after chasing him for two years.
He has impressed in spurts but failed to assert himself in games as the potential which once made him a future Ballon d’Or contender at Borussia Dortmund fizzled out.
Alongside Sancho, more financial hits could be coming for United.
Club captain Harry Maguire is available for £40 million, half the fee he was bought for under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The report states that Maguire, Sancho, Anthony Martial, and Scott McTominay won’t be “forced out” like some other players who have no future at the club. However, they will be sold for the right price.
McTominay was the subject of interest from Newcastle in January and a deal could still be done this summer. United value him at £40 million, which would be one of the few times they get a huge return on their investment on an academy prospect.
Martial will be harder to shift. His contract expires next summer but his wages, worth around £250k/week, means that his reported asking price of £25 million might be a pipe dream.
Then there are players who have no future at the club. Fred and Donny van de Beek are available for £20 million each while Anthony Elanga could be another profit-making sale for United.
Eric Bailly can be written off as a distressed asset, with recent reports indicating that the club will be willing to let him go for “almost free”.
Alex Telles is reportedly attracting interest from FC Porto and a price tag of £10 million might have to come down to make it a sale.
Academy graduates Brandon Williams and Dean Henderson might be sold for £5 million and £15 million respectively. The future of the latter is something to keep an eye on as David de Gea’s contract reaches its end with no renewal in sight so far.
United are hoping that the fire sale leads to an additional £50-100 million to reinvest in the squad. They are in the market for a midfielder, striker, and a goalkeeper in case De Gea leaves.