Manchester United are said to be planning to purge their forces when the 2026 summer transfer window opens. The Old Trafford team is ready to let 5 players leave the team to mobilize financial resources and restructure the squad.
Currently, the "Red Devils" are still trying to win a ticket to the UEFA Champions League after a season without participating in any European competitions. Since being appointed as interim coach in January, Michael Carrick has helped the team win 6 out of 8 matches, thereby bringing Man United to third place in the Premier League table.
The current position gives Man United a great opportunity to return to the Champions League, especially if the Premier League is awarded a fifth place in the tournament based on UEFA coefficients. However, regardless of which position the season ends in, the Old Trafford board is still preparing for a volatile summer.
According to information from the British media, 5 players who may leave Man United include Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Manuel Ugarte.
This move is said to be aimed at helping the club reduce the financial burden, in the context that Man United still owes about 422 million pounds of unpaid transfer fees.
Currently, Hojlund is playing for Napoli on loan with a buyout clause. Napoli's sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has confirmed that the Serie A team plans to keep the Danish striker.
There is nothing to doubt. Rasmus Hojlund will stay here" - Manna affirmed.
Meanwhile, Onana is playing for Trabzonspor on loan, but the Turkish team has not yet made a decision about buying the Cameroonian goalkeeper outright.
Trabzonspor Vice President, Zeyyat Kafkas, said that the transfer fee of about 45-50 million Euros is a major obstacle for the team.
In other cases, Zirkzee still has difficulty in winning a regular starting spot since Ruben Amorim left the coaching chair and Carrick took over temporarily.
Mount also has many injury problems and has missed the last 6 matches in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Ugarte's future is also uncertain as the Uruguayan midfielder has only started 7 matches in the Premier League this season.
The future of captain Bruno Fernandes may also become one of Man United's major problems in the summer transfer window.
The Portuguese midfielder's current contract will expire at the end of next season. Although Man United has the right to activate a 12-month extension clause, the situation is still not entirely certain.
According to sources, Fernandes has negotiated a release clause allowing him to leave Old Trafford if a team agrees to pay a fee of about 57 million pounds. This puts Man United in front of an important decision when the season ends. For the club, this summer may be the last chance for them to collect a significant transfer fee from selling the 31-year-old player.
Meanwhile, Fernandes - who will turn 32 in September - can also consider this a suitable time to look for a final big contract in his career, with potential destination in the Saudi Pro League.
However, this scenario still depends on Man United's performance in the current season. If the "Red Devils" win the right to return to the Champions League under Carrick's leadership, Fernandes can completely consider staying at Old Trafford until his contract expires.
