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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Kieran King

Erik ten Hag faces transfer dilemma over 'unviable' exits of three Man Utd players

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is facing a dilemma on whether to cash in on Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire this summer.

The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last season and are set to compete in the Champions League once again after a one-year absence. Ten Hag's men also won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final before losing out to Manchester United at Wembley.

However, despite enduring a successful first season at United, Ten Hag is not resting on his laurels and wants to further strengthen his squad. Mason Mount is set to become their first signing of the window when he arrives in a £55million deal from Chelsea, while other areas have been targeted.

The Red Devils have prioritised signing a new no.9 with Wout Weghorst returning to Burnley at the end of his six-month loan spell, while Cristiano Ronaldo departed in January to join Al-Nassr. Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane, Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani are all potential options for Ten Hag.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag (Getty Images)

There could also be more outgoings this summer. Sancho, Martial and Maguire have been linked with moves away from the Red Devils after struggling for game time last season. All three found themselves down the pecking order, having lost their place due to differing reasons.

But there is a difficult balance to accept when it comes to those three. United could cash in and endure a loss on a hefty transfer fee, knowing they are on contracts that might not be matched elsewhere.

Should United do that, then they will still need to be replaced. This has a capacity to create a financial strain that may make leaving unviable, according to the BBC.

Erik ten Hag is set for a busy pre-season (Getty Images)

Ideally, United would sell the trio to make room for more signings as Ten Hag tries to strengthen his squad. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, this is looking unlikely to be the case.

Sancho, firstly, has been linked with a move to Tottenham and a return to Borussia Dortmund this summer. As reported on Saturday, the Red Devils have already knocked back a loan approach from The Black and Yellow for Sancho and are only willing to accept a permanent offer.

Martial, meanwhile, is United's only senior striker at the moment and is likely to stay considering the Red Devils' £25m asking price. The Frenchman impressed under Ten Hag when he was fit, scoring nine times in 29 matches.

As for Maguire, he has been linked with a move away due to the form of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, and even the form of Victor Lindelof towards the back end of last season.

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