Antony should be sold this summer
Antony should be sold this summer
Sir Jim Ratcliffe didn't hold back when assessing Manchester United's recent transfer business earlier this year.
The United co-owner sat down for interviews with a number of media outlets, branding some within the United dressing room as "not good enough" and "overpaid".
He went on to explain the club's financial situation, revealing how they would be 'buying' six players already at United this summer due to outstanding payments required.
"This summer, we will ‘buy’ Antony, we’ll ‘buy’ Sancho, we’ll ‘buy’ Casemiro, we’ll ‘buy’ Martínez, we’ll ‘buy’ Hojlund, we’ll ‘buy’ Onana, and they’re all about £17m each," he said. "If we buy nobody we’re buying those players. It’s not a light switch (that can be turned off).
"These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we've inherited those things and have to sort that out. For (Jadon) Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer.
"Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future. We've got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future."
Given the number of new players needed at Old Trafford if the team are ever going to suit Ruben Amorim's style of play, it's no surprise they are adopting a new transfer strategy as they look to raise funds to buy players alongside paying off the debt owed from previous deals.
Four players were classed as 'untouchable' within the United squad, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana absolutely not for sale. However, this stance has since changed, and United no longer regard any squad member as 'untouchable'.
In fact, it's not absolutely out of the question that all four players could be plying their trade elsewhere by the start of next season. Uncertainty remains over Mainoo's situation with no agreement reached on a new deal, Garnacho has been told he is free to leave, Hojlund is generating interest from Inter Milan and Onana has endured a rollercoaster few years at United. It's unlikely all will be moved on but not impossible.
United are looking to build a team in Amorim's image and the money owed for transfers made before his arrival isn't helping.
If they've any chance of recruiting players good enough to take them back to where they want to be then they need to ensure they get as much as they can from any sales this summer.
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