It may not be intentional, but the end of the current season will see Manchester United undergo a major clearout.
The Red Devils are likely to lose multiple senior first-team players once their contracts expire this summer.
The bulk of the squad’s soon-to-be free agents is in the midfield with the likes of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all heading for the Old Trafford exit.
Elsewhere, striker Edinson Cavani is looking nailed on to leave the club following what has been a topsy turvy two years.
It isn’t just senior players the Red Devils will bid farewell to though.
According to a recent report from the Manchester Evening News, several academy players are also likely to walk away for free at the end of the season.
Goalkeeper Ondrej Mastny, defender Reece Devine, midfielders Charlie Wellens and Connor Stanley and forwards D’Mani Mellor and Mateo Mejia, will all soon be out of contract.
The Red Devils have the option to extend the contracts of both Mejia and Wellens but have so far failed to trigger the one-year option.
When it comes to the prospect of losing as many as 11 players for free, fans would be forgiven for feeling disappointed.
However, in United’s situation, a mass exodus of this size is something that has needed to happen for several years.
Unfortunately, following some poor decisions to renew fringe players’ contracts, the club is now suffering the consequences.
Fans will certainly be hoping that new manager Erik Ten Hag can not only restore some quality on the pitch but also bring back some commercial stability behind the scenes.