Manchester United will find it difficult to offload unwanted players despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eagerness to trim Ruben Amorim’s squad this summer, journalist Jason Burt has suggested.
The Red Devils are heading for another challenging transfer window and are reportedly set to make ‘huge losses’ on several of their star departures.
Ratcliffe delivered a brutal assessment of players he believes United have overpaid for in recent years in a revealing interview earlier this week, mentioning the likes of Casemiro, Antony and Jadon Sancho, among others.
The United minority owner even branded some of his Old Trafford squad ‘not good enough’ and said the clearout process will take time amid the club’s difficult financial situation.
Man United Eager to Offload Stars
‘They're going to make huge losses’
Ruben Amorim
Burt, speaking on the Back Pages podcast, suggested that United will struggle to find suitors for stars on big wages and are set to make losses on past player investments:
“Clubs and agents and players aren't stupid. They'll know that they're not wanted at Manchester United. The big issue is just taking their contracts. Who's going to pay those contracts?
“Jim Ratcliffe can say whatever he wants in terms of getting them out or, you know, them being overpaid and so-and-so.
“But he's got to do the deals to make them move on. That's the bottom line. Other clubs out there know the situation, they'll come in low ball.
“Manchester United has got to take the medicine. Basically, they're not going to sell high on these players. You know, it's just the situation they're in at the moment.
“They're going to make huge losses, and they're just going to have to grin and bear it and get on with it.
“If they're going to actually turn the squad around, some of those players have to be paid off, or they have to get deals that are more favorable to them to get them out of the club. That's just the way it is.
“And I do think it's quite astonishing for a club owner to speak quite so frankly. I welcome it to a degree. I think sometimes you're going to have to call it as it is.”
Man United are now heading for their worst-ever Premier League finish, sitting 14th and 10 points off eighth, where they ended up last season under Erik ten Hag.
Amorim’s side have been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the division, netting just 28 times in 24 games this term.
United are likely to part ways with several first-teamers this summer, with Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton’s contracts all expiring.
Marcus Rashford and Antony could also leave permanently once their loans at Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively, come to an end.
Ruben Amorim's Man Utd Record (2024/25)
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Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 1 2 -03-25.