£108m wasted: INEOS must cash in on Man Utd flop who has "disappeared"

Amid what appears certain to end as Manchester United’s worst-ever Premier League campaign, the Red Devils will once again be looking to oversee something of a squad overhaul this summer.

The INEOS regime will likely need to be as ruthless as they were last summer, having notably allowed high profile stars such as Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial to depart following the expiry of their contracts.

Equally, the Old Trafford hierarchy also opted to cash in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer favourites, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay, while a raft of academy graduates were also shown the door, namely Willy Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez and Hannibal Mejbri.

With new boss Ruben Amorim having already hinted that the club will need to sell before buying this summer, it could be a repeat scenario this time around, with the futures of a number of first-team assets currently up in the air.

If recent reports are anything to go by, there could well be a mass exodus from the Theatre of Dreams by the time next season rolls around…

Man Utd’s mass summer exodus

As the player has hinted at himself this week, Christian Eriksen is likely to be moving on to pastures new following the expiry of his contract at the end of June, with the Danish playmaker having initially signed on a free transfer back in 2022.

The 33-year-old – as reported by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – is likely to be followed by fellow Scandinavian star, Victor Lindelof, with the long-serving Swede also unlikely to be handed a new deal.

Further experienced exits could lie in store for one-time academy graduates, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton, with both men in line for retirement once their own contracts are up this summer.

As Luckhurst also alluded to, fellow veteran Casemiro is likely to be made available for transfer, despite the Brazilian having recently admitted that he would be willing to see out the remainder of his deal, which expires in 2026.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co are also likely to try and cash in on both Marcus Rashford and Antony, with the pair having joined Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively, in January.

In the case of the Brazilian, there was no clause included as part of the move to Spain, although Villa do have a £40m option to buy as part of their temporary acquisition of Rashford.

Another man who could also be set for a permanent departure within the Premier League is Jadon Sancho, albeit with the Englishman’s future at Chelsea having been brought into fresh doubt of late.

Man Utd’s total cost of signing Jadon Sancho

It is very on-brand for a chaotic club like United that even a seemingly routine obligation-to-buy clause has become rather complicated, with it looking as if the Stamford Bridge side could attempt to back out of the permanent signing of Sancho.

As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Blues could avoid paying £25m for the addition of the 25-year-old by instead paying the Red Devils a £5m penalty fee, in order to send the winger back to Old Trafford.

That could potentially see the former Borussia Dortmund man return to Manchester this summer, leaving INEOS with the potential task of trying to find a suitable buyer for him, ahead of next term.

It would be no surprise if Chelsea do opt not to sign the wideman permanently, not least considering his meagre return of just two goals and six assists in 28 games for the west Londoners to date.

After a bright start, which included three assists in his first three Premier League games under Enzo Maresca, the one-time Manchester City youth star has failed to maintain that momentum, with Chelsea hero John Obi Mikel stating that he has simply “disappeared” of late:

Those woes reflect Sancho’s dismal time back at United thus far, with the 2021 arrival having contributed just 18 goals and assists in 83 games to date – a return bettered by Dan James, for instance, who chalked up 18 goal involvements from just 74 appearances.

Described by Solskjaer as “a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United” upon his £73m switch from Germany, the England international has certainly failed to live up to that price tag, having proven a costly mistake instead.

Not only have the club had to fork out that initial fee, but they have also coughed up over £35m in wages since then, as per Capology, representing a total cost of around £108m in all.

The idea of then being burdened with him again next season, provided Chelsea wiggle out of a move, would be a real concern for the United hierarchy, with INEOS needing to ensure that they finally cash in on Sancho this summer – one way, or another.

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INEOS must axe Man Utd flop who’s cost them over £50m in wages

He’s likely to be part of the much-anticipated summer clear-out at Old Trafford.