Manchester United has begun to put plans in motion for another upcoming squad overhaul in the summer under the command of current AFC Ajax tactician Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch manager is widely expected to be confirmed as the next long-term appointment on the Old Trafford touchline after he has leaped to the head of the queue to take the reigns from current interim boss Ralf Rangnick, and United has already listed a cadre of current players that could be jettisoned in the summer to make room for the expected incomings.
As reported by the Mirror’s Manchester football correspondent David McDonnell, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are just two of six players in the first-team squad that could be on their way out of the club to allow Ten Hag the room and finances to begin a massive overhaul.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Alex Telles, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford could leave #mufc to allow Erik ten Hag to begin his overhaul #mulive [@DiscoMirror]
— utdreport (@utdreport) April 20, 2022
Rebuilding plans have recently been confirmed by Rangnick himself in the wake of United being steamrolled by Liverpool yesterday in a 4-0 loss at Anfield, stating; “There will be a rebuild here. Six, seven, maybe TEN new players will come.”
Ten Hag is expected to receive an initial £200-million to splash on incomings to mold the team into his image, which could include a move for Villarreal defender Pau Torres after fresh links have placed him as a possible transfer target for United, with both Eric Bailly and Phil Jones potentially on the chopping block.
LISBON, PORTUGAL – APRIL 05: Darwin Núñez of S.L. Benfica celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between SL Benfica and Liverpool FC at Estadio da Luz on April 05, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Other targets are said to include England star duo Harry Kane and Declan Rice, but moves for one or both could severely strip United of a large chunk of their spending power in the summer, which has led to potential interest in Darwin Núñez and Rúben Neves as highly-credible backup options that are in a lower price bracket to allow the club to spread it’s available resources across the squad more effectively.
Perhaps most importantly for United, a renewed role for Donny van de Beek could be in the works, with the Dutch international reuniting with his former Ajax boss offering a chance for the Ajax academy graduate to garner a new lease on life at the Theatre of Dreams.
With the future of Marcus Rashford in question, recent links for RB Leipzig standout midfielder Christopher Nkunku continue to swirl around United of late, though it remains to be seen whether or not the Red Devils will make a move for the talented Frenchman given the potential £54-million outlay that it would take to secure his services.
