Gary Neville claims Ruben Amorim should be looking to get rid of ten Manchester United players in a squad overhaul this summer.
United are enduring a dismal domestic season and now sit 16th in the Premier League after West Ham condemned them to their 17th defeat of the season on Sunday.
The Europa League could be their saving grace after a brilliant Mason Mount brace last week helped Ruben Amorim’s side to a 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Club to see them through to the final against Tottenham on May 21.
Victory over their Premier League rivals in the final will grant them crucial entry into the Champions League next term, making United more alluring to potential new recruits ahead of what looks to be a significant summer rebuild, and provide the club with more money to make those changes.
But the club can further increase Amorim’s transfer kitty and make space on the wage bill be getting rid of deadwood, and Neville reckons as many as ten players could be out on their ear.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Neville said: “You’re talking about eight to 10 players have to go. There’s three or four players that will leave through being out of contract, and he needs to get [another] five or six out, and they’re going to have to pay to get them out.
“Rashford’s wages now will be paid half by Manchester United. That’s £180,000-a-week, £8million-a-year being paid by United.”
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Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are all set to leave when their contracts expire this summer, while Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia are all likely to be sold or at worst sent out again on loan.
Bruno Fernandes has been linked with Real Madrid, while there’s doubt over the futures of Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.
Rio Ferdinand agreed with Neville that a significant exodus should be on the cards at Old Trafford, claiming Amorim would cut up to half of the players in his squad if he was able to do so, in a bid to have players to call upon suited to his style and philosophy.
Ferdinand said: “I think he looks around the dressing room and thinks ‘If I could wave a magic wand, in the next five years at least 50 per cent of this team wouldn’t be here’.
“Because they’re not good enough and they’re not right for the way he wants to play. I look at him and think that he needs, minimum, two good windows of getting rid of the ones he doesn’t require but also getting in players that he really needs.”