Ruben Amorim has overseen a significant overhaul at Manchester United this summer, with four players leaving the club not long after they were singled out by Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe attends the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at San Mames Stadium
Sir Jim Ratcliffe ran the rule over five expensive Man United stars before Ruben Amorim cut ties with four of them this summer
(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim showed his ruthless side by axing no fewer than four players whose acquisitions had been questioned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Manchester United manager wielded the axe during a dramatic summer overhaul at Old Trafford, where the exits proved just as significant as any new arrivals at the club.
One of the key objectives for minority shareholder Ratcliffe since his arrival at Old Trafford has been eliminating wasteful spending. It was earlier this year the British billionaire specifically mentioned five first-team players who cost a total £340million upon joining United, alongside some eye-watering wages.
From those five players - Rasmus Hojlund (£72m transfer fee), Jadon Sancho (£73m), Antony (£81m), Andre Onana (£43m) and Casemiro (£70m) - just two remain at the club, with Onana poised to join Trabzonspor on loan. This demonstrates the urgency from Amorim and United's hierarchy to restore equilibrium to the squad.
Speaking to BBC Sport (via The Mirror) in March 2025, Ratcliffe discussed players he and his team inherited from their predecessors who arrived on bloated salaries and transfer fees that may not have been warranted: "If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn't buy, we're buying Antony, we're buying Casemiro, we're buying Onana, we're buying Hojlund, we're buying Sancho.
"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 Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer."
From that collection, Sancho has once more departed on loan to Aston Villa, while Hojlund has moved to Napoli temporarily and Antony has transferred to Real Betis on a permanent basis. Onana is close to securing a season-long move to Turkish side Trabzonspor, but Casemiro appears destined to complete what might be his final season at United.
Ruben Amorim, head coach of Manchester United, looks dejected during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester United
Amorim swung the axe this summer with a number of high-profile departures from Old Trafford
The Brazil midfielder remains United's top earner on £350,000 a week, representing a significant outlay for a player approaching his 34th birthday in January. Moving out Sancho (£250,000 weekly) and Hojlund (£85,000) will save the Red Devils more than £1m per month ion wages.
Marcus Rashford's temporary switch to Barcelona has also freed up approximately another £300,000 from the weekly wage bill. The financial pruning has proved expensive though, both in monetary terms and regarding United's standing following various fiscal blunders from years gone by.
Antony's departure, for instance, has tarnished their record after acquiring the winger for a little more than £80m three years ago, only to offload him for a measly £19m this summer. The ongoing search for a permanent home for frequent loanee Sancho is another sign that not all of United's high-profile signings are desirable to other clubs.
While not every significant investment by United in recent times has been unsuccessful, Ratcliffe is keen on weeding out some of the less successful deals.
Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United celebrates scoring the winning goal with Antony
Antony has left for Real Betis, while Rasmus Hojlund will spend this season on loan at Napoli
"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," he added during his interview with the BBC earlier this year.
"We've got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future. There are some great players in the squad as we know, the captain is a fabulous footballer. We definitely need Bruno [Fernandes], he's a fantastic footballer."
Supporters will be hoping new signings Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko can soon join the ranks of confirmed transfer successes after reshaping their attack. They'll have a prime chance to prove themselves in Sunday's derby clash against Manchester City.