Manchester United are reportedly preparing to take a more decisive approach to player sales as the club plans the next stage of its squad rebuild. Dean Jones reports for Flashscore that United are conscious that uncertainty surrounding unwanted or potentially expendable players has been allowed to continue for too long in previous transfer windows, limiting the club’s ability to generate transfer income and create room on the wage bill.
That could lead to difficult decisions involving several established members of Michael Carrick’s squad. Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martínez are among the players Jones says could come under scrutiny as United assess the squad.
That does not mean United have decided to sell all, or necessarily any, of those players. The report instead identifies them as players whose situations could require decisions as the club attempts to avoid allowing uncertainty to stretch across another transfer window.
Bruno Fernandes could also become a significant situation depending on how circumstances develop. The United captain has repeatedly attracted interest away from Old Trafford, but there is no suggestion in the latest report that the club has decided to sell him.
The wider issue is financial as well as footballing. United want greater flexibility to reshape the squad, and moving players on at the right time can generate transfer fees while simultaneously reducing the wage bill. Allowing uncertain situations to drag on can make both objectives more difficult.
Champions League qualification could have a major influence on how aggressively United can operate next summer. The club returned to Europe’s leading competition this season and has forecast revenue of between £740m and £760m for 2026/27, but maintaining Champions League income would provide considerably greater financial capacity for the next phase of recruitment.
Failure to qualify could make player sales and wage reductions substantially more important. That becomes particularly relevant because United are reportedly considering another significant investment in defence.
Jones says a premium centre-back is understood to be among the club’s recruitment priorities. United have already been linked with several central defenders as they assess the longer-term shape of the squad, including Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Stuttgart’s Finn Jeltsch and Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel.
The centre-back situation also intersects with decisions over United’s existing defenders. Maguire, Martínez and Mazraoui are among the senior players whose futures could reportedly come under scrutiny, while Leny Yoro has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter despite United remaining committed to his development.
A major defensive signing would therefore potentially require United to create both squad space and financial capacity. The same principle applies elsewhere in Carrick’s squad.
United have accumulated players across several managerial eras, and becoming more decisive about when somebody no longer fits the long-term plan could form an important part of the club’s attempt to build a more coherent squad. The latest report does not describe a predetermined clear-out.
Instead, it suggests United want to become better at making those decisions before situations become expensive or difficult to resolve. Jones also reports that the club’s present intention remains to continue with Carrick despite the pressure surrounding United’s poor start to the Premier League season.
That means the planning currently taking place is not necessarily preparation for another manager to inherit the squad. For now, United appear to be considering how the existing project develops and which players should remain part of it.
If the club follows through on the more decisive approach described in the report, next summer could involve significant departures as well as arrivals. The important question will be which of those difficult decisions United are actually prepared to make.
