Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly set to axe eight players as part of a squad overhaul in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, as many as eight players will be on the chopping board at Manchester United in the summer transfer window. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to offload the likes of Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Fred and Alexis Sanchez.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as the permanent Manchester United manager has not exactly begun as planned. While the Red Devils did win his first match in-charge as the full-time boss against Watford, the trip to Molineux this week proved to be anti-climactic, with Wolves handing them a 2-1 defeat.
But, if anything, the loss to Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, and some of the other performances under the tutelage of Solskjaer, has shown why the squad needs to be revamped in the summer transfer window. And, the Manchester United boss is going to do exactly that, with as many as eight players facing the axe.
Majority of these aforementioned players are defenders, with the likes of Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo also deemed surplus to requirements. Among them, Valencia’s future has already been discussed by Solskjaer, with the Ecuadorian set to leave on a free transfer.
As far as Darmian and Rojo are concerned, the duo’s poor fitness as well as a lack of quality has convinced the manager that there is no future for them at Old Trafford. Bailly, on the other hand, has failed to impress and many would argue that he is rightly on the chopping block, especially with a centre-back reportedly being high on the priority list this summer.
In midfield, Fred’s inconsistent performances since joining last summer have won the Brazilian no favours with Solskjaer, although it might be a tad bit harsh to offload him after just one season, seeing as Victor Lindelof has shown the benefits of being patient with foreign players.
But, Manchester United and Solskjaer have their hands tied, as far as Herrera and Mata are concerned, owing to the duo’s unacceptable wage demands. With both the players in the last years of their respective deals, it is highly likely that they, like Valencia, will leave as free agents, with PSG reportedly in for Herrera.
Finally, Alexis Sanchez, whose signing has shattered United’s wage structure is also set to be sold, with Solskjaer running out of patience with the Chilean. Indeed, the former Arsenal superstar has been nowhere near the levels he displayed at the Emirates, even after nearly 18 months at Manchester United, and one cannot blame the club to be ready to sell him.
A crucial transfer window awaits for Manchester Untied and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer. While a number of top class players need to be signed, a clearout is rightly first on the agenda, and it looks like as many as eight players will be departing from Old Trafford this summer.
