Manchester United are trimming the squad with much needed decisions, but there could be one drawback.
Following the season’s end, Manchester United confirmed the exits of three players, Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans.
It was the right call, with the trio adding to the wage bill and starting infrequently in the Premier League in 2024/25.
Player Premier League starts 24/25 Weekly wage Age
Victor Lindelof 6 £120,000 30
Christian Eriksen 11 £150,000 33
Jonny Evans 3 £65,000 37
Lindelof, Eriksen and Evans contributed a total of 19 Premier League starts combined last season, at a combined £335,000 per week.
While all three players have had their moments during their United careers, their limited roles this past season meant there was no case to retain any of them, it was time to move on.
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images
Manchester United might look for experience
There is one gap created by Manchester United releasing the veteran trio. Their departure removes some valuable leadership from the dressing room.
Evans’ exit means United have no player in the squad from the Sir Alex Ferguson era for the first time since his retirement. Phil Jones had been a long-standing carryover, until Evans’ surprise return.
It could be a big positive for the squad to get younger, fresher, and more dynamic for the year ahead, but experience always plays a strong part.
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United have attempted to solve the striker position with young striker Rasmus Hojlund, and he has been let down by not having a veteran to learn from.
Playing for United carries a remarkable amount of pressure, which young players like Alejandro Garnacho have struggled at times to deal with, and it even got too much for Marcus Rashford eventually too.
That’s not to say the answer is to go back to the Ed Woodward approach of signing ageing past-it players interested in a pay day. United must avoid this. But a sprinkling of veteran leadership can go a long way in balancing out the squad.
Manchester United’s oldest current players
Jonny Evans and Christian Eriksen’s departures means two of Manchester United’s five oldest players have left the club.
The three oldest left are backup goalkeeper Tom Heaton, 37, Casemiro, 33, and Harry Maguire, 32.
All three are into the final years of their contracts, and could all make their departures from Old Trafford in June 2026.
Beyond that, Bruno Fernandes, 30, Andre Onana, 29, and Luke Shaw, 29, are the next three oldest players in the squad.
How many of those will be here in 2026? Perhaps only Bruno Fernandes? And even then, he will no doubt have another big money approach thrown at him.
Seeing the age of the squad drop is a positive for United, but it’s worth watching to see if United add in another experienced option or two to fill out some depth, or if Ruben Amorim totally commits to youth to plug in the gaps.