Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and the 10 players Man Utd MUST sell in summer transfer window for Ruben Amorim’s rebuild to begin

Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and the 10 players Man Utd MUST sell in summer transfer window for Ruben Amorim’s rebuild to begin

The Red Devils will have to get rid of a big pile of deadwood once their disastrous 2024-25 campaign draws to a close

“In Manchester United, you don’t have the time,” Ruben Amorim said when quizzed on his future after the Red Devils were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday. “I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast. In here, the pressure is too big sometimes.”

That was United’s 13th Premier League defeat of the season, one fewer than their all-time worst tally set in 2023-24, and it left them seven points behind 10th-placed Bournemouth with only eight games remaining. It’s safe to say that Amorim’s side won’t salvage a top-half finish, and United will also miss out on continental football for the first time in 10 years if they fail to win the Europa League.

No wonder Amorim is feeling the pressure. The former Sporting CP boss signed a contract until 2027 when replacing Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November, but there is no guarantee he will see that through after failing to inspire an immediate turnaround in fortunes.

Amorim’s future will depend on how he navigates the summer transfer window, which allows him to start rebuilding the squad in his image. According to iNews, that will involve the sale of up to 10 first-team players, on top of departing free agents such as Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof.

The question is: who should be sacrificed so that Amorim can afford to start bringing in his top targets? GOAL runs through the 10 stars who must be on the chopping block…

GettyRasmus HojlundIn the final nine minutes of United’s clash with Forest, veteran centre-back Harry Maguire was pushed upfront to try and use his aerial prowess to grab an equaliser. It never came, but during that time Maguire posted an expected goals total of 0.6, more than Rasmus Hojlund had accumulated in any of his previous 15 appearances for the Red Devils – as per xG Philosophy.Indeed, Hojlund has only scored eight goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this term, with just three of those coming in the Premier League. That’s not even close to good enough for a striker who cost £72 million ($92m).The harsh truth is that United have no hope of rediscovering past glories with the goal-shy Dane leading the line. Hojlund is still only 22, but Amorim doesn’t have the time to wait around for him to start realising his potential, especially not while proven marksmen like Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Victor Osimhen are all on the market.

Getty Images SportAntony”I have found myself again. I am very happy here. Every day I wake up with a smile and that is very important,” Antony admitted to Diario AS in February after a bright start to his loan spell at Real Betis. The Brazilian has racked up eight goal contributions in his first 12 appearances for Betis, helping them emerge as contenders for Champions League qualification from La Liga and reach the latter stages of the Europa Conference League.Antony suddenly looks like the exciting young winger he was at Ajax again, having clearly benefitted from shaking off the £85m ($112m) price tag that proved too heavy for him to carry at Old Trafford. But United must not be lured into the trap of thinking he now deserves a second chance.During his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Red Devils, Antony was almost completely useless. His pathetic haul of five goals and three assists in the Premier League confirms as much, and United have to make sure he if offloaded permanently in the summer, even if they have to accept a big loss on their initial investment.

Andre Onana

Andre Onana was supposed to be the final piece in the puzzle for Ten Hag’s project at United. After guiding the team to a third-place finish in his first season at the helm, the Dutchman turned to another of his former Ajax prodigies after the departure of long-term No.1 David de Gea as United struck a £48m ($63m) deal with Italian giants Inter.

Unfortunately, United have only gone backwards with Onana between the sticks. He’s put a target on his own back with a series of high-profile mistakes, including in the home defeats to Forest and Brighton this season.

The Red Devils also came very close to losing to Ipswich at Old Trafford because of Onana’s poor handling and distribution, with the Cameroonian reduced to a laughing stock among his peers. Onana has cost United vital points far too often, and Amorim will be fighting a losing battle again next term if he does not prioritise the signing of a new first-choice goalkeeper.

(C)Getty ImagesMarcus RashfordSurprise, surprise: Marcus Rashford is playing well again. The United academy graduate essentially downed tools under Amorim before forcing a loan move to Aston Villa in January, and has since reminded everyone of his undeniable qualities in the West Midlands, posting seven goal involvements in 11 games.But Rashford’s form will fall off a cliff at some point, because it always does. He’s a temperamental player who only delivers in short bursts, which is evidenced by the fact he only broke the 10-goal barrier in the Premier League in four of his previous nine seasons at United.Rashford used up his nine lives a long time ago. It would make no sense for Amorim to draft the disruptive England international back into his plans as he attempts to fix the player power culture that has held United back in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era; if Villa or any other suitor offers around £40m ($53m) for Rashford this summer, United should bite their hands off.

Getty ImagesMason MountMason Mount made a lively cameo in a No.10 role on his latest return from injury at Forest, prompting Amorim to highlight what a good fit he is for his 3-4-3 formation. “If you look at the history of Mason Mount, he played in this system many times, especially in Chelsea, he played left-hand, right-hand [side],” said the Portuguese coach. “So I think it’s a very good position for him.”Amorim is right about Mount’s profile, but he’s wrong to place any kind of trust in him. The 26-year-old has only started nine Premier League games for United since his 2023 move from Chelsea, repaying none of his hefty £60m ($79m) transfer fee.Mount can’t keep himself fit for long enough to make any kind of impact. It’s difficult to predict when, or if, Mount will be able to play multiple 90-minute games at the highest level week on week again due to his chronic physical issues, so right now he’s just not worth the reported £250,000-per-week wages United are paying him, and has to be put on the transfer list.

(C)Getty ImagesTyrell MalaciaMalacia looked like a shrewd signing after a promising debut season in 2022-23, but suffered a serious knee injury at the end of that campaign, and spent 550 days on the sidelines recovering from surgery.The Dutch full-back missed 72 games during that time, and was unable to force his way back into the starting XI after making his long-awaited return to action in November. With Amorim having little use for Malacia, United decided to loan the 25-year-old to PSV, where he has been able to finally build up some rhythm again over the past three months.Malacia is better off staying in his homeland than returning to Old Trafford in the summer; he needs regular minutes to get his career back on track, which United simply cannot offer him. Luck has been against Malacia, but he doesn’t seem robust enough to make the grade with the Red Devils, who now have Patrick Dorgu on board in his preferred left-back slot.GettyJadon SanchoJadon Sancho isn’t cut out for the Premier League. If that wasn’t clear enough from watching him in a United shirt, it has been confirmed by his inconsistent performances on loan at Chelsea this season.The 25-year-old doesn’t want for technical quality or footballing intelligence, but he can’t cope with the intensity of the English top-flight, as illustrated by the fact he has just two goals to his name in 29 appearances for Chelsea. There are still fleeting moments of genius from Sancho, but most of the time he sits on the fringes of the action and neglects to take any risks.During his two spells at Borussia Dortmund, Sancho was a different player because he had more space and time on the ball and less pressure to deal with. It has been reported that he wants a permanent return to Signal Iduna Park, which United should do everything in their power to facilitate if Chelsea end up reneging on their obligation to buy him outright for £25m (£33m).

(C)Getty ImagesDiogo DalotDalot is generally viewed as one of United’s more reliable players among fans, which is, quite frankly, baffling. At best, he’s consistently mediocre, which is not a standard that should ever be accepted from a regular starter at Old Trafford, regardless of the team’s collective struggles.Going forward, Dalot rarely beats his marker and his delivery is erratic, while in defence he is often caught failing to track his marker and loses too many duels. The right flank has been a problem position for United for many years now, which will remain the case until they sign an upgrade on the Portuguese.Incredibly, Dalot has been linked with top clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in recent months, and United would be wise to try and cash in. At 26, it’s already clear he is never going to be the world-class right-back the Red Devils need to reach the next level.

Getty Images SportCasemiroCasemiro’s status as a modern-day legend can never be taken away. The Brazilian enforcer was a key part of an all-conquering Real Madrid side that lifted five Champions League titles, and will go down as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation.But that doesn’t mean United should allow him to see his contract through to its June 2026 expiry date. Casemiro has been in serious decline since his impressive maiden year at Old Trafford, and now struggles to keep up with the pace of English football.Officials in Saudi Arabia have reportedly held an interest in Casemiro for some time, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr among the clubs said to be ready to swoop for the 33-year-old when the transfer market reopens. United need younger legs in midfield now, and can still get a decent fee for Casemiro if they squeeze the Saudis.

GettyLuke ShawIn his 11 seasons at United, Luke Shaw has only registered 20 or more Premier League appearances five times. He’s managed only two this term, down on his measly 14 in 2023-24, and Amorim still doesn’t know when he will be available for selection again.Shaw’s body is failing him; every time he gets close to a return, a new injury pops up and sends him back to square one. It appears that the England international’s best years are firmly behind him at 29, and now he is fighting an uphill battle to prolong his career.Despite barely playing over the last two seasons, Shaw has still pocketed an annual salary of £8m, which cannot continue. United may struggle to find a buyer given Shaw’s fitness record, in which case they should just release him from his contract two years early and finally end this draining saga.If Shaw is to stage a remarkable comeback, it won’t be at Old Trafford, where the physical demands are simply too high for him to live up to now.