The January transfer window is usually not one for large-scale squad turnovers but the Man Utd squad is generally not in the bottom half of the table in January either!
Ruben Amorim knows it is a long-term project that won’t be fixed in a window, especially not a mid-season one, but at the same time, the size of the task is so big they can’t afford to kick the can down the road.
If an opportunity arises in January, they have to pounce, for example, Dani Olmo’s situation at Barcelona or Randal Kolo Muani’s at PSG.
However, both of those are non-controllable, in that they are not in United’s hands to influence. There are two deals in January that are, and they have to make both to put themselves in a better position for the summer.
A double sale at Man Utd, neither involves Marcus Rashford
The discourse around Marcus Rashford has been so intense that it feels like he’s the only player at the club who needs to leave and it can’t happen soon enough.
However, like Olmo or Kolo Muani, Rashford’s situation is not completely in United’s hands either, thanks to the wages the previous board showered him with.
Furthermore, it can be argued that the best time to sell Rashford is actually in the summer when teams have more money and plan for the whole season.
The same can’t be said for the two Scandinavians at the club- Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof, who are on expiring contracts.
Both can talk to potentially interested parties from January 1 and for a club that is pleading poverty every chance it gets, letting players leave on a free transfer is just not palatable.
Eriksen’s wages of about £150k/week might make it a difficult situation but Lindelof has attracted interest from Europe for a while now and United need to cash in.
Neither is important enough to the current scheme of things that the club decides their contribution for six months is worth letting them leave for free in the summer.
Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof transfer has another benefit
Besides the obvious cost-saving on six months of wages plus any transfer fee, however, nominal it is, there’s another benefit to the double sale.
If the duo was playing every game and making a difference, an argument could be had about whether United are better off keeping them.
However, the minutes they are occupying could be perfect to bleed in a youngster or two who can actually form the spine of the team in the long term.
United’s season is going nowhere domestically so it’s not like experience is needed in backups, while the club is already out of one cup competition and faces Arsenal away in the other.
Somebody like Godwill Kukonki in defence and Toby Collyer in midfield is much more useful to the team in the long term. Even if they are not good enough to contribute long-term, Willy Kambwala’s transfer showed how quickly a prospect’s value can rise when he has first-team experience.
Therefore, selling Lindelof and Eriksen has to be the two deals United absolutely must make in January.
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