Gary Neville has suggested that a staggering 10 Manchester United players could be heading for the exit this summer after a disappointing season.
Despite the club’s troubles, Ruben Amorim’s players remarkably reached the Europa League final and are in with a shot of returning to the Champions League if they can overcome Tottenham soon.
Regardless of how the clash with Spurs pans out, club legend Neville expects a massive shake-up at Old Trafford, with a plethora of departures predicted. While on ‘The Overlap Fan Debate,’ the former full-back commented: “You’re talking about eight to 10 players have to go.
“There’s three or four players that will leave through being out of contract, and he needs to get [another] five or six out, and they’re going to have to pay to get them out.
“Rashford’s wages now will be paid half by Manchester United.
“That’s £180,000-a-week, £8 million-a-year being paid by United.”
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Currently, four players’ deals are winding down, with Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, and Jonny Evans all due to be out of contract very soon.
While Tom Heaton’s deal is also up, there are whispers that United wants to extend his stay for another year.
Meanwhile, those currently on loan, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia, are all anticipated to be sold in the summer.
There may also be some departures that United would rather avoid, with Bruno Fernandes being linked with moves to Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia, although Amorim is keen to keep the Portuguese midfielder at Old Trafford.
Neville isn’t the only ex-United star predicting a significant clear-out in the coming months. Former teammate Rio Ferdinand has also suggested that Amorim could cull up to half of the current squad at his disposal.
He said: “I think he looks around the dressing room and thinks, ‘If I could wave a magic wand, in the next five years at least 50 per cent of this team wouldn’t be here’.
“Because they’re not good enough and they’re not right for the way he wants to play.
“I look at him and think that he needs, minimum, two good windows of getting rid of the ones he doesn’t require, but also getting in players that he really needs.”
