Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made the ruthless decision to sell Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho, Fred and Scott McTominay this summer, it has been claimed.
United have signed Mason Mount for £60million from Chelsea and are chasing Inter Milan’s Andre Onana and Atalanta striker Ramsus Hojlund. But Ten Hag is also keen to reshape his squad and has identified those he deems to be deadweight as pre-season begins at Carrington.
Maguire endured a difficult season under Ten Hag’s management in 2022/23, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane established as the first-choice centre-back pairing. Ten Hag is now keen to sell the England defender in order to streamline his squad.
The Independent claims that Maguire has been made available for transfer, with United valuing him at £50m. However, potential suitors, who include West Ham, believe the 30-year-old, who has two years left on his United contract, could be available for £35m.
Maguire had been keen to fight for his place at United, but has now been placed in a difficult position, with Gareth Southgate telling him he must play regular football if he is to start at Euro 2024. A potential stumbling block is his wages, with West Ham unable to match his current pay packet of around £200,000-a-week at United.
The other three players he wants to sell might be easier to shift. McTominay has two years left on his contract and is wanted by West Ham, Newcastle, Brighton and Roma. The 26-year-old Scotland international has made 209 first-team appearances at the club, scoring 19 goals, and would command a fee in the region of £25m.
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Fred is being monitored by Fulham, who could lose star player Joao Palhinha to West Ham as they look for a replacement for Arsenal-bound Declan Rice. The Brazilian midfielder has just one year remaining on his United contract, so may be available for a knock-down fee as Ten Hag attempts to make room in his squad.
Sancho, meanwhile, has been offered to Tottenham as an effort to tempt them to sell Harry Kane. The England winger cost United £77m from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 but has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford.
Kane has entered the final year of his Spurs deal, but chairman Daniel Levy is reluctant to sell their star player to a rival Premier League side. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been linked with the 29-year-old, who scored 30 goals in the Premier League last season.
United’s non-international players have now returned to Carrington for training ahead of a busy pre-season schedule. The club are pushing hard to land Onana as David de Gea’s replacement, while Hojlund has moved ahead of Randal Kolo Muani as a potential signing up front.
Ten Hag knows that United are working on a limited budget and sales are needed to bolster his transfer budget amid the uncertainty created by the takeover saga. The Guardian says that Anthony Elanga is also transfer listed and could command a fee of £30m due to his contract until June 2026.
