MAN UTD PAIR WORTH £159M TOLD ‘IT’S ALL OVER’ WITH SALES URGED AS THIRD STAR WITH ‘ATTITUDE ISSUES’ GETS LIFELINE
Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been told he should not hesitate to cash in on two of the club’s most disappointing signings of the modern era this summer, with neither Jadon Sancho nor Antony proving themselves of the quality needed, according to one observer.
The Red Devils are hoping to catapult themselves back among the elite of the English game in the 2024/25 season by embarking on a hugely-transformative summer window, which is likely to see several incomings and plenty more outgoings to boot. And while Manchester United won the FA Cup at the back end of last season, minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe knows the fact they finished eighth in the Premier League and also humiliated themselves in the Champions League means major surgery on the squad is required.
As a result, Ratcliffe wants to wave in a new-look squad who can wear the badge with pride and elevate the club back among the very best.
Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro – two of European football’s most promising young stars – have already been brought in for a combined £88.7m this summer. And the British billionaire is not done yet with sources indicating to TEAMtalk that the Red Devils chief hopes to make at least four – and potentially as many as seven – new signings this summer.
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Next on their wishlist is a new right-back, while pursuits remain ongoing for a new midfielder, and another centre-half.
In an ideal world, Ratcliffe would also like a new right-sided attacker and a left-back too this summer, though much will depend on exactly who they manage to move on too.
Man Utd told there is no way back for ‘absolute disaster’ Jadon Sancho
United have already offloaded Mason Greenwood to Marseille this summer, while they could also look to move on another right-sided attacker in Facundo Pellistri.
The Red Devils, though, have recently welcomed Sancho back into first-team training and an apparent thawing of tensions with boss Erik ten Hag after their high-profile falling out last season.
Sancho has been linked with moves to Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus this summer, though it’s been suggested he could be given the chance of redemption at Old Trafford.
Despite that, former Tottenham midfielder and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara is adamant the player will still move on this summer after branding him a failure since his £73m move from BVB.
Another costly winger, Antony, has also flattered to deceive and O’Hara is urging the Red Devils to offload the £159m pair as soon as possible.
“I think Jadon Sancho will leave Manchester United. I can’t see that situation being resolved between him and Erik ten Hag, they don’t have any respect for each other anymore,” O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport.
“The amount of money they spent on him, it’s been an absolute disaster for them. The way it goes now with financial regulations, if you spend the amount of money they did on Sancho, it simply has to work.
“That type of money wasted on one transfer can absolutely ruin a club and United cannot afford to make those mistakes again.”
Rashford ‘deserves another chance’ but Antony must also leave
O’Hara believes United’s struggles last season can be partially blamed on the bad attitude displayed by a number of their big-name stars and he urged Ratcliffe to root out the trouble-makers to get them back on track.
With Brazilian winger Antony also slotted to leave, as far as O’Hara is concerned, the former Spurs and Wolves man does believe Marcus Rashford deserves another opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.
And if they can get him to shake off the attitude issues that dogged him last season, a fully-firing Rashford can still prove himself a big-game player for United.
“There are still players at United who don’t respect Ten Hag and don’t want to put effort in. You can bring in who you want, but you’ve still got Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony – I think these players all have a bad attitude towards helping the team.
“United ought to sell Sancho and Antony, but I don’t think Rashford should go. They have to find a way of getting the best out of him, he’s got star quality, but he has to run around more and show a better attitude.
“He was nowhere near good enough last year and it cost him his place at the Euros, which I don’t think he expected. Hopefully that gave him a wake-up call!”
On United’s aims for the 2024/25 campaign, O’Hara believes a top-four finish will be the minimum expected of Ten Hag.
“United must get top four this season, they got away with it this year by winning the FA Cup, they were dreadful in the Premier League,” he added.
“I think this is an attitude and mentality problem, these players need to remember they are playing for Man Utd, one of the biggest clubs in the world. You have to be amongst it every season, and their league form was so far off and they must put it right.”
2024-07-27T06:54:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd