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Languishing 13th in the Premier League table and with new manager Ruben Amorim still getting his feet under the table, the decision-makers at Old Trafford are ready to listen to serious offers for all but two members of their squad. Part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made himself an unpopular figure by cutting jobs and staff perks over the past 12 months and now that ruthlessness is set to translate on the pitch.
Hardly anyone is safe in Amorim’s squad, with bids expected to fly in between now and the end of January. But which players should be valued more than others? Who’s untouchable and whose time is up?
Mirror Football sits down in the Old Trafford hot seat to call the shots.
The untouchables
Let’s kick-off with who we think shouldn’t – and definitely won’t – be sold in January. Starting with who’s reportedly off the table, Leny Yoro and Amad have been given special status by United chiefs.
Signed for £52million last summer, highly-rated centre-back Yoro is still finding his feet at Old Trafford after an ankle injury ruled him out until early December. Meanwhile, Amad has been the outstanding player since Amorim’s appointment, scoring memorable late goals away to rivals Manchester City and Anfield, moments of brilliance which show why the club have offered him a new long-term contract.
Earlier this year, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho were named as part of a three-man list of so-called untouchables – more on a the third later – but now United are open to selling the pair of academy graduates. However, there’s no doubt that Mainoo and Garnacho possess the natural talent to take the Red Devils back to the top, and at 19 and 21 respectively should be kept around to hone their skills.
Too soon to sell
This is where the debate really starts. To be brutal, do any of United’s senior players deserve the benefit of the doubt after years of underperforming?
Goalkeeper Andre Onana has been a mixed bag since his £47m move from Inter Milan, but given how the club’s goalkeeping department is set for a major shakeup elsewhere, we think it’d be best to stick with the Cameroonian for now. In defence, the versatile Noussair Mazraoui has arguably been United’s most successful summer signing, performing admirably under both Erik ten Hag and Amorim, so there’s no reason to let him go.
Matthijs de Ligt came with him from Bayern Munich and has shown glimpses of why he was once Europe’s most coveted young centre-back. Harry Maguire has just had his contract extended until 2026, singled out as a leader by his manager and has looked more comfortable in Amorim’s three-at-the-back system.
One man who hasn’t is Diogo Dalot, having mostly been used at left wing-back. The Portugal international is reportedly Real Madrid’s backup option if they fail to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, so there’s seemingly interest in him.
However, if United are successful in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain ace Nuno Mendes, Dalot can return to the right and start to thrive. Mendes played under Amorim at Sporting Lisbon just like Manuel Ugarte, whose all-action display at Anfield was the kind fans expected to see when United shelled out £42m for him, so it’s certainly too soon to sell him.
Who else should Manchester United refuse to sell? Give us your opinion in the comments section.
Up front is where it gets the most tricky for Amorim, with Rasmus Hojlund – the third previously untouchable player – and Joshua Zirkzee both failing to cut it this season. Hojlund arrived for a huge £72m and after a promising end to last season, he’s stalled.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, was signed for £34m and supposed to take the burden off the Dane. Instead, the Dutchman has had his own struggles, infamously jeered when he was brought off after just 33 minutes against Newcastle.
There’s potential in both players, 21 and 23 respectively, and United would be better off with an experienced No.9 to show them the ropes. A loan move could benefit each of them but they shouldn’t both be sold and leave Amorim without a recognised striker.
Plenty to prove
The jury is still out on plenty more big-money signings at Old Trafford and even captain Bruno Fernandes. Although United’s skipper was at his creative best in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool, he’s largely underwhelmed in the past 18 months and been accused of lacking the leadership skills necessary to be a United captain.
Fernandes signed a new contract in August which ties him down until 2027, having reportedly received interest from Barcelona, Bayern and Saudi Arabia. But the midfielder will be 31 early next season, so if the Red Devils want to take a long-term approach, selling Fernandes for a big fee could prove to be a smart decision at the risk of short-term pain.
A more straightforward decision would be to sell backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. The Turkish understudy’s agent says that he’s keen to stay, but with Amorim said to be targeting another goalkeeper to challenge Onana in 2025, his sale would make sense.
Continuing with this section, two players who’ve been held back by injury hell: Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount. Malacia recently returned for a horrendous 16-month layoff while Mount just hasn’t been able to get going since his £55m move from Chelsea in 2023.
The sight of the 25-year-old going down just 14 minutes into last month’s Manchester derby was hard to watch and although Amorim has that he ‘loves’ Mount, it’d be worth considering an offer if somehow a substantial one came. The same goes for Lisandro Martinez, who’s struggled to play as the left-sided centre-back in Amorim’s preferred formation which he won’t be changing.
United are still keen on left-footed Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite and have also been linked to Goncalo Inacio, who Amorim used for the role at Sporting. Martinez was mostly impressive in his first season at Old Trafford following his £57m move from Ajax in 2022, but United can’t ignore his diminutive size and injury record.
Time’s up
Starting off with Tom Heaton, the veteran goalkeeper has been a good servant since returning to United in 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he’s out of contract in the summer and looks set for the exit door. The same goes for 37-year-old Jonny Evans, fellow defender Victor Lindelof, who’s currently injured, and Christian Eriksen, a rumoured target for former club Ajax.
Speaking of ex-Ajax players, it’d be a huge surprise to see Antony as part of the Red Devils’ squad even in six months’ time. The Brazilian cost a eye-watering £82m and although United have no chance of recouping that fee, he’s got to be on the chopping block.
The same applies for £350,000-a-week midfielder Casemiro, who’s of interest to clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo could reunite with him at Al-Nassr and his departure would go a long way towards balancing United’s wage book.
Marcus Rashford is, of course, likely to be the most high-profile departure from Old Traford this month, with the forward publicly admitting last month that he’s ‘ready’ for a new challenge. Rashford hasn’t made an appearance since December 14 and it’s becoming evident that his two-decade association with United is about to come to an end.
Luke Shaw is in his 11th season at United but has made just three appearances, summing up his injury woes. There’s no doubt that on his day, he remains one of the best left-backs around. Sadly for Shaw, those days are becoming more and more rare, so his services should be on offer.
Finally, Jadon Sancho has shown signs of promise on loan at Chelsea, who have an obligation to make his stay permanent next summer for around £25million. The 24-year-old failed under multiple managers United, so that should be that for him.
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