Sir Jim Ratcliffe Planning a Major Squad Clearout at Man United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United, clearout

According to recent reports, INEOS CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly planning massive changes at Manchester United including a summer clearout. The United squad will undoubtedly need a major revamp if they want to see themselves challenging for the Premier League in the near future.

Erik ten Hag’s first season at Old Trafford saw them claim a 3rd position in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup. Despite his initial success, the Dutch manager finds himself in a fickle position at the club. It is now clear that he overachieved last season with the squad he had in hand.

There is a sizeable pile of deadwood at the club currently. If Manchester United wish to move in a positive direction under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, they must prioritize sorting this problem out and prepare for a clearout. Another point in question is whether the former Ajax manager will remain at the helm at the Theatre of Dreams.

According to Metro Sports, Jim Ratcliffe is drafting a major clearout at Manchester United and has put up to 11 players up for sale. The INEOS chief wants to raise at least £100m through this overhaul to ease the club’s Financial Fair Play concerns and bring in new recruits.

Casemiro, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Greenwood, and Jadon Sancho seem to be the most lucrative deals and are expected to fetch the highest fees. The reports also claims that Antony may be on the chopping block as a result of his horrific stint.

The experienced Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are also expected to be heading out in the summer with their contracts expiring. Long-term attacker Anthony Martial also seems to be exiting in the same condition. This also highlights another one of United’s problems, of being forced to sell high-profile players for meager amounts, with only 5 players leaving for over £25m.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning a big clearout to trim Manchester United’s wage bill with Casemiro and Raphaël Varane likely big-name departures. #MUFC [@talkSPORT] pic.twitter.com/FACTFUgJEv

— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) February 26, 2024

Defender Raphael Varane’s contract is expiring in June as well. The Red Devils can trigger the one-year extension clause in the World Cup winner’s contract. However, according to ESPN, the club have decided against triggering the extension.

Victor Lindelof has been put up on the market as well. Loan players who may leave the club include Donny van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez. Meanwhile, Sofyan Amrabat will return to Fiorentina after his loan deal expires at the end of the season.

The Reason Behind The Clearout

Erik ten Hag had stated that he desperately needed a striker in the January transfer window. This need arose because of injuries to Anthony Martial and Rasmus Hojlund. The ownership could not provide him with the necessary financial resources because they had to comply with the Financial Fair Play Regulations.

Last summer, the Red Devils spent £170m on incoming players but were able to recover only £50m through the sales of Fred, Anthony Elanga, Dean Henderson and Teden Mengi. Sir Jim Ratcliffe wishes to alleviate the FFP issues by making a clearout at United and raise as much as £100m through the sales.

Over the years, the critics have aimed criticism at Manchester United regarding how they hand out contracts. The supporters have called out the management for wasting a humongous amount of weekly wages on players who are not good enough.

What Is Next For Manchester United

Although an overhaul has been long due for Manchester United, they also need to replace the players leaving the club. The club definitely needs a backup striker to support Hojlund’s efforts. Sources have linked the Bayern Munich youngster, Mathys Tel, to the English club since the January transfer window.

The club could also look at Lille center-back Leny Yoro to replace Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans. The club is also looking to further strengthen the backline by targeting Denzel Dumfries to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka. This is a change that will better suit Ten Hag’s style of play.

By overhauling the Red Devils squad as soon as possible, INEOS would give the club the biggest boost towards fighting for titles again. For far too long, the managers have been suffering from the poor decisions made by those sitting above.

It is yet to be seen if Erik ten Hag will fall to the same fate as those before him. However, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe motivated to move in the right direction, we can expect them to get down to business immediately.

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