To revamp the squad, Man United’s primary task will be to offload players who are no longer in the plans.

Man United needs to trim down personnel who aren’t fitting during this summer.

What’s next for Manchester United? That’s the question that has been swirling around Old Trafford since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group bought a stake in February. The 27.7% share ensures the British billionaire controls the operations of the Red Devils.

One thing certain at Man United, both on and off the pitch, is a summer of upheaval and impending change.

Despite Erik ten Hag guiding Man United to their second consecutive FA Cup final, they were knocked out in the Champions League group stage and face the risk of missing out on European competition next season. Ten Hag’s future is in doubt, and a significant number of Red Devils players could depart if the Dutchman loses his job.

Ratcliffe and his team have already made some changes recently. CEO Richard Arnold and Football Director John Murtough have left Man United, replaced by Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth. Jason Wilcox has also started as Technical Director after Man U negotiated compensation with Southampton.

However, accelerating the rebuilding process is no easy task for Manchester United. The club at Old Trafford faces numerous issues to address, posing challenges for the new hierarchy.

Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain.

The transfer window will be the first area of concern for Manchester United’s leadership. Costly mistakes in signings over the past decade have seen them fall behind their rivals.

Due to financial constraints imposed by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR), Manchester United will enter this summer needing to offload high-wage players before considering new recruits. They need to free up wage funds before thinking about bringing in new signings. The British media asserts that the Red Devils have ambitious transfer plans, but a net spend of £100 million will be the limit.

Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial will depart as free agents, thereby cutting £450,000 in weekly wages. Christian Eriksen is attracting interest from Turkey and will be allowed to leave with one year remaining on his contract. Meanwhile, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Scott McTominay, and Harry Maguire—all with contracts expiring in 2025—are likely to depart or accept wage cuts.

Casemiro is drawing interest from Saudi Arabia, while Manchester United will also entertain offers for Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek. Mason Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe, is another player who could leave if a reasonable offer comes in.

The future of Marcus Rashford is also in doubt. However, after signing a five-year contract extension worth £300,000 per week last summer, the English forward has attracted little interest. Paris St Germain seems to be the only club interested in Rashford as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappe.

Manchester United needs to be firm in offloading players who don’t fit into the new direction.

While Manchester United is looking to overhaul their squad, selling high-earning stars could prove challenging. According to British media, clubs with free-spending powers outside of Manchester City, possibly Brentford and Brighton, teams that have recently made significant profits in the transfer market, might be options. However, neither of these clubs seems suitable for the players Manchester United needs to sell, and Manchester City is unlikely to have the demand.

Outside of the UK, major clubs in Spain, Italy, and Germany are not inclined to spend heavily. Therefore, the only markets where Manchester United could sell players are likely Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

In summary, that’s the challenge for Manchester United. They need to offload underperforming players, but they’ll be hindered by high wages and could end up stuck with them for another year until their contracts expire.