Manchester United’s 2025/26 campaign has lurched from one embarrassment to another. Ruben Amorim arrived with the promise of a structured rebuild. However, the Portuguese coach left before he could complete it. This left interim manager Michael Carrick to hold a fractured dressing room together. Now, the club are planning for a permanent appointment this summer. The squad still carries players who do not belong at Old Trafford. The incoming manager must start fresh with a clean slate. Here are three players United genuinely cannot afford to keep beyond June.
Three players who must leave Manchester United this summer
1. Casemiro
Manchester United confirmed in January that Casemiro will leave at the end of the season. His contract is finally expiring. His time at the club has been a tale of two halves. The Brazilian was excellent under Erik ten Hag in his first season. Later, he became a liability. He has recovered his form slightly under Carrick, but the timing is right. Casemiro earns around £350,000 a week, making him United’s highest-paid player. He is now 33 years old. Paying that amount for a squad player with no resale value isn’t financially sound. The club need that wage space to fund new signings. His departure feels bittersweet, but it frees United to build a younger, faster midfield.
2. Joshua Zirkzee
Zirkzee has managed just nine goals in 69 appearances across two seasons. United have set a €35 million asking price for the Dutchman. Reports suggest he has no intention of staying in England. He wants a return to Serie A. Juventus, AC Milan, and Roma have all shown interest. Zirkzee feels disillusioned after failing to earn regular minutes under Carrick. He has made only four starts across all competitions this season. No one ever doubted the Dutchman’s technical quality. However, the Premier League clearly does not suit his traits. The truth is that United bought the wrong type of striker.
3. André Onana
United plans to sell Onana once his loan spell at Trabzonspor ends. Club sources expect him to leave permanently in the summer. The Cameroonian arrived for £47 million from Inter Milan in 2023. He made big mistakes far too often across two seasons. He produced a catalogue of high-profile errors. This drew harsh criticism from former players like Nemanja Matic. His loan to Turkey was a quiet admission that his Old Trafford career is over. Keeping Onana as a backup wastes both squad space and wages. United need a reliable goalkeeper who rules his penalty area with authority.
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These three exits will send a clear message. United must strip back the bloated, mismatched squad they built through years of poor recruitment. They must build a team that actually works together.