For all the talk of Manchester United having no assets to sell, they have two of the top five most valuable former Academy players on their books, which is very handy in terms of potential ‘pure profit’ sales.
And with United walking a PSR tightrope, that could be very useful indeed. Just as it was to Chelsea last summer when they sold Ian Maatsen, Conor Gallagher, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson. And, judging by their position in the Premier League table, it’s not a bad path to follow.
These are the Premier League’s five most valuable Academy products according to transfermarkt; Man Utd have two on the list, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City also involved. Though Curtis Jones might want a word…
1) Phil Jones (Manchester City)
TM value: £124m
Having a frankly rotten season but he is the reigning PFA Player of the Year, is only 24, and has a long contract at Manchester City. “He is the only player that can’t be sold under any circumstances, the only one. Not even for €500m,” said Pep Guardiola. But that was five years ago and City would be lucky to get €100m for him now.
It’s actually incredibly tricky to imagine Foden at any other club, playing in any other colour. He has played under no other club manager but Pep Guardiola and his England attempts under Gareth Southgate and Lee Carsley suggest he might be a one-coach man. And this season even that one-coach trick is failing him badly. He has scored zero goals in the Premier League on the back of a 19-goal haul.
Will City sell? Will they balls.
2) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
TM value: £115m
The third favourite for the PFA award this season, a market value update from TM would surely see him leapfrog the man above him on this list. In truth, Arsenal have let it be known that they would only sell for a fee in the life-changing £150-200m bracket, with reports suggesting that they believe only Erling Haaland is worth more in the Premier League. For once, that’s not bluster.
Ten years ago, you could imagine Arsenal being forced to sell their Starboy to Manchester City or Real Madrid, but we would not be remotely surprised if Saka begins and ends his career in north London.
Will Arsenal sell? Will they balls.
3) Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
TM value: £58m
A great deal has been said elsewhere – but particularly on these pages – about the lure of Real Madrid to Alexander-Arnold, who might not get another chance to join a genuine super-club and potentially become a Ballon d’Or winner.
The latest is that Manchester City are also interested, which would be a trickier pill to swallow for Liverpool fans who might just kind of maybe accept that Real Madrid is quite the pull.
If Alexander-Arnold does leave, it will be on a free transfer at the end of the season, though we would be amused to see Liverpool’s reaction to a £50m-plus offer in January for a pure profit player who is just months away from potentially leaving for bugger all.
Will Liverpool sell? They wish it was their decision to make…
4) Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
TM value: £50m
The idea that the only two options available to Rashford would be Saudi Arabia or PSG is ludicrous; there will be many coaches across the Premier League and Europe who believe that the biggest problem with Rashford is not the player himself but Manchester United. We have long suspected that Pep Guardiola would absolutely fancy a crack at unlocking the brilliance of the United Academy graduate.
Rashford has scored three goals in five games for new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, who is said to be under no illusions that he has no transfer kitty unless he sells. And the best man to sell is the ‘pure profit’ forward who scored 30 goals just two seasons ago.
Will Man Utd sell? Damned right they will.
5) Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
TM value: £45m
He’s said to be on a very short list of Manchester United players NOT available for sale along with Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo, though there are schools of thought that Mainoo does not have the discipline to work in a two-man midfield pivot.
But the club will absolutely know that selling Mainoo would be disastrous for the club in terms of PR, even though there is little to suggest that he is a key part of Amorim’s long-term plans. Right now, the man above him on this list is the man who will be sold. Until such time Mainoo proves himself to be either a) very, very profitable or b) really not worth unsellable status.