Manchester United are coming up on a contractual headache in summer 2019.
The Red Devils have a quite incredible 11 (eleven!) players who are approaching the end of their contract. And by approaching, we mean at the end of the current season.
Yup, if United don’t act then by this time next year they will have lost an entire team’s worth of players.
But would that be a bad thing? Obviously outgoing players would need to be replaced, but would United actually miss any of the departed? We’ve had a look at the “Contract XI” to determine whether United should keep them, sell them for a quick buck in January, or let them go quietly in the summer.
1. David De Gea
Goalkeeper, 27-years-old
This is an absolute no-brainer. David De Gea is one of the top three goalkeepers on the planet. There is absolutely no reason why United should let him go and given Real Madrid have signed Thibaut Courtois, it’s highly likely that De Gea will remain at Old Trafford for the rest of his career.
VERDICT: KEEP
2. Antonio Valencia
Full-back, 33-years-old
Antonio Valencia has been an incredible servant to Manchester United but if we’re being real he never recovered from being bodied by a just-back-from-cancer Eric Abidal in the 2011 Champions League final. He lost much of his dynamism and purpose, becoming a full-back. He’s done a job there, admirably so, but these days he’s mostly a hindrance. Allow him to serve out his contract and move on with dignity.
VERDICT: RELEASE
3. Matteo Darmian
Full-back, 28-years-old
Remember his first two games when he looked like a freight train? Yeah, what happened to that? The fall of Darmian makes little sense, especially as he’ll probably go back to being great when he returns to Serie A – a return which should be expedited to January. Sell! Sell! Sell!
VERDICT: SELL FAST
4. Chris Smalling
Centre-back, 28-years-old
Chris Smalling is such a functional and useful centre-back, it’s often hard to come up with reasons to get rid of him. He works hard, defenders well in the air, and he’s got a fun nickname that makes no sense. But he’s also not good enough to be a starter for the calibre of club Manchester United wishes to be, and his status as a back-up would get in the way of Axel Tuanzebe’s development.
VERDICT: RELEASE
5. Phil Jones
Centre-back, 26-years-old
Phil Jones is an absolute disaster. It’s a shame, too, because he’s great when he’s fit but even when he’s playing well there’s this unnerving feeling that he’s never more than two weeks away from tearing his hamstring whilst walking his dog or kicking the ball off his own face into the back of the net whilst attempting to launch a crossfield pass. Sell him. Probably back to Blackburn.
VERDICT: SELL FAST
6. Luke Shaw
Full-back, 23-years-old
“Don’t call it a comeback! I’ve been here for years!” is probably the best way to sum Luke Shaw up. He has, indeed, been here for years. But now finally we’re seeing his fuse being ignited. Shaw is delivering on his enormous talent and should be signed up as soon as possible. He’s four years late but United’s left-back of the future is finally here.
VERDICT: KEEP
7. Ashley Young
Winger/Full-back, 33-years-old
An incredible servant to the club whose main contribution seems to honestly come off the field. Sure he man-marked Mohamed Salah (twice!) out of games despite the Egyptian brutally murdering everyone else in his way last season, but mostly Ashley Young is a disaster on the field. He seems to genuinely “get it,” however, and “come back when you’ve won the Prem” is as brilliantly succinct a putdown of Dele Alli as one could imagine – so you make this guy a coach or an assistant.
VERDICT: RELEASE
8. Ander Herrera
Midfielder, 29-years-old
One of the nicest guys off the field and a proper nasty little so-and-so on it, Ander Herrera is basically the dream Manchester United player. He’s even really good at football despite constantly changing position and role to “whatever José Mourinho wants him to do this week.” You keep Herrera, because he’s a good leader, genuinely seems to love United and most importantly can play every midfield position pretty well.
VERDICT: KEEP
9. Andreas Pereira
Midfielder, 22-years-old
A young master in the making, Andreas Pereira has got quality written all over him. He’s a technical footballer with the type of skill and intelligence to really thrive as a starter in the Manchester United midfield; or at least in a Nicky Butt-esque “first sub” role. You keep him, but only if José Mourinho goes. Otherwise, he just doesn’t fit the style of the side and won’t play, so should be granted the mercy of a quick exit in January.
VERDICT: KEEP (SELL FAST IF MOURINHO STAYS)
10. Juan Mata
Midfielder, 30-years-old
The Nicest Man In Football. A perfect person, truly. A very good footballer too, one who facilitates interplay and makes those around him better. However Manchester United’s path forward must be built around pace and risk, and Juan Mata has neither. His positional sensibilities also lead to him crowding Jesse Lingard’s airspace, so a dignified exit in the summer is best (plus don’t you want to watch him and Santi Cazorla play together for Villarreal? Because he’d totally go to Villarreal. Wouldn’t that be great?)
VERDICT: RELEASE
11. Anthony Martial
Forward, 22-years-old
Can you believe José Mourinho wanted to sell Anthony Martial? Goodness gracious, what a bad decision that would have been. Martial is a genuinely special talent who should be nurtured and protected. His ability to play at pace up-front or out wide on the left, producing phenomenal interplay with his fellow young talents in attack, should put him ahead of Alexis Sánchez in the pecking order.
It won’t, but it should, because frankly, the Chilean has looked about as useful as a garden shed made out of butter whilst Martial nearly always shows the potential that he possesses. Martial FC is official and needs to be recognised.
VERDICT: KEEP
The post Keep, sell fast or release? The 11 Man Utd players who could leave for free next summer appeared first on Squawka News.
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