Manchester United may be on course to sell two players in the wake of their Europa League final loss.
On Wednesday, Tottenham won their first European trophy since 1984 and first silverware of any kind since 2008 when they beat United 1-0 in the Europa League final in Bilbao.
Brennan Johnson scored the game’s only goal, and in the process subject United to their worst season in the Premier League era. Ruben Amorim’s side will end the campaign trophyless, while they are languishing in 16th in the Premier League, on 39 points with just one game remaining.
Having lost the encounter, United have missed out on the £100million Champions League football generated through tickets, broadcast money and sponsorship bonuses.
Indeed, United have admitted to having been at risk of failing to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, and could be forced to sell some of their home grown assets in the summer to generate revenue.
Fans are concerned that the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho could be sold in the coming months.
One person wrote on X: “Think they’re going to have to sell [Garnacho] for PSR purposes, plus Amorim doesn’t seem to see him as essential (not sure who Amorim sees as essential).
“Not what I wanted but I feel so empty right now about MUFC that I won’t be particularly gutted if he goes.”
Mainoo could be sold for PSR reasons (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Another person said: “We’ll sell Garnacho and Mainoo to get pure profit to spend on athletes who fit into a rigid system which bores us all to death.
“And they’ll both do well elsewhere.”
United may be wary of the optics if either Mainoo and Garnacho were to leave and thrive elsewhere, just as Scott McTominay has done at Napoli. McTominay was sold by the Old Trafford club last summer for £25million, and has since scored 11 Serie A goals to help Napoli to the league summit.
United legend Paul Scholes told TNT Sports in January that he thought the prospect of selling Mainoo was “ridiculous”, while he was more open to a Garnacho departure.
On selling Mainoo, Scholes said: “It’s ridiculous. He’s United’s brightest spark.
Scholes was open to the prospect of selling Garnacho (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“He’s probably the leading man who could be here for the next 5-10 years.”
The midfield icon added: “I think United can probably get better than [Alejandro] Garnacho, although he’s a young player and there’s probably better to come.
“He’s still a little bit scruffy in his technique at times. I think his decision-making sometimes is really poor.
“I wouldn’t be afraid or I wouldn’t be worried if they sold Garnacho, but Mainoo, I’d be offended by that.”
