With two months until Premier League squads have to be formally submitted, Manchester United's 25-man group under new boss Erik ten Hag could look markedly different by then.
With deals in the offing for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia now nearing completion, former Ajax head coach Ten Hag has wasted no time in reshaping the squad he inherited at United.
The Dutchman ushered out Paul Pobga, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Edisnon Cavani, after their contracts expired, with several more players set to follow them by heading for the Old Trafford exit door.
With Ten Hag expected to add another two or three players to his squad before the September 1 transfer deadline, there will be more outgoings to accommodate the new arrivals. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson will join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan, having fallen back behind David De Gea, who re-established himself as United's No.1. United will look to sign a new back-up keeper to De Gea, with Watford's Daniel Bachmann a target, although Tom Heaton – already at Old Trafford - could fulfil the role if an understudy cannot be recruited.
Defensively, United are set to offload Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Ten Hag bringing in Malacia, to provide competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, and Ajax centre-back Lisandro Martinez. Ten Hag is looking to sign a right-back as well, so Wan-Bissaka may get a reprieve if United are unable to sign a new player to fight Diogo Dalot for that slot. But Jones, Bailly and Telles look certain to leave this summer, while Spanish youngster Alvaro Fernandez, 19, has impressed for United's Under-23s and could step up under Ten Hag.
Midfield is arguably the biggest challenge for Ten Hag, given United lost so much personnel there this summer. With a deal for De Jong close, Ten Hag could add a second face in midfield, to bolster numbers there, with Leicester's Youri Tielemans and free agent Christian Eriksen targets he has identified. But with James Garner returning from a successful loan spell at Forest and expected to remain with the United squad next season, and Donny van de Beek also back from his six-month loan stint at Everton, the focus may shift towards an attacker to ease the goalscoring burden on Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Ajax's Brazilian attacker Antony, who can play in a variety of positions across the forward line, is wanted by Ten Hag, but his former club's £70million valuation of the 22-year-old is making the move prohibitive at this stage. Having lost Cavani this summer, and with Mason Greenwood suspended and Anthony Martial looking for a permanent move away after his loan spell at Sevilla, a proven goalscorer is a priority for United, to take the pressure off Ronaldo, who cannot be expected to carry that burden alone again, at the age of 37, despite his enduring class.
As he showed during his successful four-and-a-half year spell at Ajax, Ten Hag favours a squad with the right blend of experience and youth, with the emphasis on developing players who have come through the system at a club, which bodes well for United's youngsters. The likes of Garner and 17-year old midfield sensation Alejandro Garnacho are likely to benefit from Ten Hag's arrival, by remaining with the first-team for next season, with the upcoming tour of Thailand and Australia a chance for them to show Ten Hag they deserve to stay and play a part.
Manchester United's likely 25-man squad for 2022-23
Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Daniel Bachmann*, Tom Heaton
Defenders: Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia*, Lisandro Martinez*, Harry Maguire, Rafael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Alvaro Fernandez, Diogo Dalot
Midfielders: Scott McTominay, Fred, Frenkie de Jong*, Donny van de Beek, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Christian Eriksen*, James Garner, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Elanga
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Antony*
*Subject to transfer deals being completed
