It’s fair to say Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his work cut out for him at Manchester United after a shocking 4-0 defeat at the hands of Everton this weekend.
While the new Red Devils manager has done a decent job to steady the ship after a nightmare start to the season under Jose Mourinho, it seems the problems at the club weren’t all the Portuguese’s fault.
MORE: Manchester United close in on transfer of Premier League star
Solskjaer now needs the backing to totally revamp this squad, with a number of new signings needed and sales also required of some under-performers who’ve somehow stuck around for far too long.
Here’s our look at ten names we think should or will be shown the door, along with six new additions to turn this team into more genuine title contenders next season…
OUT – Alexis Sanchez
What more is there to say about this guy? Alexis Sanchez will go down as one of the biggest flops in living memory, only to be saved by the fact that he didn’t actually cost Man Utd a mammoth transfer fee due to his contract situation at Arsenal. If he stays beyond this season it would be a huge, huge surprise.
OUT – Ander Herrera
Probably already on his way out, BBC Sport have reported that Ander Herrera has agreed a deal to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. A bit of a blow, but perhaps also an opportunity to move on and bring in someone closer to world class level.
OUT – Juan Mata
It never really happened for Juan Mata at United, and he’s another player nearing the end of his contract at Old Trafford now, with the chance of a renewal looking less likely by the day as he barely features for the first-team anymore.
OUT – David de Gea
This would be a big call, but may be worth it due to David de Gea’s contract situation and current loss of form.
According to the Times, the Spanish goalkeeper is demanding big money to commit his future to the Red Devils, and it’s questionable right now if that would really be worth it.
If De Gea continues to decline as he has this season, this could be United’s last chance to cash in on him while his stock remains relatively high. He’s been a legendary performer for the club, but this seems like a logical time to say goodbye.
OUT – Chris Smalling
Not good enough, and never really was. If any mid-table Premier League clubs are happy to pay anything resembling reasonable money for Chris Smalling this summer, United have to accept.
OUT – Phil Jones
Ditto Phil Jones, though MUFC bizarrely giving him a new contract recently might make this a little trickier.
OUT – Antonio Valencia
The veteran right-back has gone downhill pretty quickly this season and now barely features for the first-team. He’s approaching the end of his contract and already seems to have hinted that he’s off with this Instagram post:
OUT – Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic had this to say after the Everton defeat, and few United fans who’ve watched him closely this season would disagree:
OUT – Marcos Rojo
A forgotten man at United, and an obvious candidate for the exit door this summer.
OUT – Matteo Darmian
Resisting the urge to copy and paste from Rojo’s section, the same is obviously true of Matteo Darmian, who made a slow start and never recovered.
IN – Jan Oblak
It was reported earlier this season by Don Balon that United are ready to pay big to sign Jan Oblak if De Gea leaves.
While it remains to be seen if the Spaniard will be shown the door by MUFC this summer, we think there’s some sense in cashing in on him now, and the world class Oblak would be a superb replacement.
The Slovenia international has shone with Atletico Madrid and may now feel he is keen on a shot at playing for a bigger club.
IN – Kalidou Koulibaly
One of a number of players linked with Man Utd by ESPN recently, we’ve certainly heard a lot about Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly recently, and often alongside the Red Devils’ name.
The Senegal international is up there with Virgil van Dijk as the best in the world in his position right now, and seems ideal to come in and replace flops like Smalling, Jones and Rojo.
This could be an expensive move, but United need to do what Liverpool did with Van Dijk if they are to catch their rivals next season.
IN – Aaron Wan-Bissaka
A hugely impressive young player, Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has had a superb season in the Premier League.
Bleacher Report recently linked him with both United and Man City for around £50million, and that could prove a bargain in the long term if the 21-year-old fulfils his potential.
If United end up losing Valencia and Darmian as options at right-back, Wan-Bissaka makes sense as a top target to ensure they’re not overly reliant on Diogo Dalot next season.
IN – Declan Rice
Another exciting English talent, Declan Rice has looked too good for West Ham this season and makes sense as a target for United.
The Sun have been among the sources to link the Hammers youngster with MUFC, and he’d surely be an upgrade on Matic and Fred as a partner for Paul Pogba.
IN – Gareth Bale
According to the Independent, translating the print edition of Marca, Gareth Bale could be made available on loan this summer, which may be of interest to United, who seem to have been linked with the Welshman every summer for the last five years or more.
The 29-year-old isn’t having the best time at the Bernabeu, but remains a player capable of world class performances, as he showed with his match-winning heroics in last season’s Champions League final.
Bale would also strengthen a problem position for United, giving Solskjaer more options up front if he ditches the likes of Sanchez and Mata, and, if he is brought in on loan, he’d be a relatively low-risk addition.
IN – Jadon Sancho
Linked as a top target for Man Utd by the Independent and others, Jadon Sancho continues to impress at Borussia Dortmund and looks an ideal fit for the style of football Solskjaer seems to be trying to bring back to Old Trafford.
Fast, direct, and positive, Sancho has a big future ahead of him and it would be great for United if those years could be spent with them.