Manchester United’s transfer window has kicked into gear and after some positive news of potential arrivals, the picture for departures is getting clearer too.
It is an open secret that Man Utd need to sell to buy after a certain point this summer, as evidenced by the club trying to secure a triple exit after chasing Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap.
Ruben Amorim has already warned his squad that he knows which players he wants to keep and which ones he wants to sell.
The upcoming games are the last-chance saloon for many players but contrary to the Man Utd manager’s claim, Fabrizio Romano says that two players on whom Amorim kept the door open have already played their last game for the club.
Two Man Utd stars destined for exit
It is expected that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will repeat Ruben Amorim’s Sporting trick in the summer by engineering a large-scale clearout.
Many are expected to be victims of that clearout, some because of their unsuited fit, while some just because they’re too lucrative as a potential sale.
Between these two extremes lie two players who were addressed by Amorim in glowing terms in a recent press conference, keeping the door for them open.
Fabrizio Romano was extremely confident in shutting that door down, saying that Antony and Marcus Rashford have played their last game for the club barring something remarkable happening in the pre-season.
Amorim had said that both are in good form which is what the club wanted from the loan move and they could report for pre-season in the summer upon the expiration of their respective loan deals.
Romano has quashed those claims, saying, “What I’m hearing is that in both cases is that they are not expected to play for Man Utd next season.
“They will look for options for both [Antony and Marcus Rashford]. This is the wish of the club, the expectation is for them to not be a part of Man Utd next season.”
Marcus Rashford and Antony are addition by subtraction
Not even accounting for the saving in wages and gain by any potential transfer fee received for them, Antony and Rashford’s exit will be cases of addition by subtraction.
The Brazilian was, at least, never someone who invited negative headlines for his lack of professionalism but he clearly wasn’t in Amorim’s plans.
The same can be said for Rashford who had become a needless sideshow on an already scrutinised team so his departure will be a cloud lifted too.
Fortunately, United will negotiate from a position of strength in both moves now that they have had successful loans, unlike the situation they left United in during the January window.
It’s an unexpected boost for United’s coffers because two distressed assets have gained value. That could be the difference between the club making four signings or going for an extra one.
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