Man Utd to take £200m hit as Ruben Amorim sends brutal message to out-of-favour stars

Ruben Amorim is overseeing a rebuild with Manchester United, spending big on new signings while preparing to take a big financial hit on some of his sidelined stars

Manchester United are willing to accept cut-price offers for Ruben Amorim’s outcasts – with Marcus Rashford’s asking price slashed to £26million. Amorim exiled five players – Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia – from training after all declared their desire to leave.

While Rashford is finalising a loan move to Barcelona for the upcoming season, the futures of the rest remain unresolved, with all four finding themselves in limbo.

Rashford underwent a medical in Barcelona on Monday, ahead of a season-long loan deal, at the end of which the Spanish giants can sign him for £26m – a huge drop from his market value of £100m a few years ago. Barca will cover Rashford’s wages for the loan period, with the 27-year-old – who earns £325,000-a-week at United – having accepted a 15 percent pay cut to move to the Nou Camp.

United’s squad fly to the US on Tuesday to begin their two-week pre-season tour and Amorim has axed all four from the travelling party, forcing them to stay behind and train.

Such is United’s desperation to offload those players who have been left behind, the club are willing to take a major hit on the transfer fees they could have received for them at the height of their value.

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Garnacho’s highest market value was £70m a year ago, but his stock has fallen so low that United are willing to accept a fee of around £40m for the 20-year-old winger. It is a similar story with Sancho, signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73m in 2021, but who United are now happy to let go for £15m, just to be rid of him, although with only a year left on his contract, a loan move next season is most likely.

Winger Antony joined United for £86m in 2022, but his value has also plummeted, with interested clubs now being quoted around £30m to sign him, while a fee of around £5m will be accepted for Malacia, valued at £20m a couple of years ago.

In the past, United have taken on tour players who they intended to sell, most recently Sancho, who travelled to the US last summer and played, despite going on loan to Chelsea when the squad returned to the UK. Romelu Lukaku went on the 2019 tour of the Far East and Australia but did not play a minute for United, ahead of his move to Inter Milan later that summer.

But the willingness of the United hierarchy to back Amorim’s ruthless decision to order his exiled stars to stay behind and train, while the rest of the squad embark on a lucrative three-game tour of the States, underlines the strength of backing for the Portuguese head coach, despite last season’s disastrous 15th-placed finish in the Premier League.

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