Five players that can depart Manchester United in summer 2023

These individuals are not likely to be a part of the club’s plans for the next season.

Manchester United’s 2022-23 season came to an end after a narrow defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Despite ending the season with a defeat, the general feeling around the club was positive as the Red Devils won the League Cup and third place in the Premier League, thus qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season.

However, having underperforming players in the squad was a major issue that Erik ten Hag dealt with during the 2022-23 season. As the tactician prepares to create a squad that resembles his ideas and gameplan, several players at Manchester United are looking at getting the axe in the summer transfer window.

Notably, in order to sign quality players, MUFC needs to sell some of the current ones on the roster. Reports suggest that are several players on the transfer list who may be playing for a different team next season. On that note, here is a look at five players most likely to depart in the summer from Manchester United:

5. David de Gea

David de Gea made 18 inaccurate passes in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, the most for any individual player. Why is this stat significant? Because that was the story of the whole of the 2022-23 season. The Spaniard is simply incapable of playing out ground passes from the back and crumbles under pressure.

Despite winning the golden glove in the Premier League, David de Gea’s errors cost Manchester United dearly on occasions. He is out of contract soon and unless he signs a new deal with less pay, the custodian is looking at leaving the club. Reports also suggest that he may lose his starting place in the lineup in the 2023-24 season.

4. Alex Telles

Alex Telles spent his 2022-23 season on loan at Sevilla. The 30-year-old is set to return to Manchester United after completing his loan spell with the Spanish outfit. He won the UEFA Europa League and made 27 appearances in La Liga with the club which is individually impressive for the left-back.

However, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia hogging the left-back position, it is unlikely that Telles will play a part in MUFC’s 2023-24 campaign. With one-year remaining on Alex Telles’ contract, MUFC can decide to cash him in rather than lose him for free in 2024.

3. Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial’s time with Manchester United is dangerously close to ending. The Frenchman came to the club in 2015 - eight years ago. However, a series of injuries across the 2022-23 season made it difficult for him to contribute to the club. In fact, MUFC had to get Wout Weghorst on loan in January 2023 in order to fill a position because Martial was unable to stay fit and Cristiano Ronaldo left a gap after a sensational falling out.

Manchester United is set to invest heavily in a new striker in the summer transfer window. They may decide to cash in on Anthony Martial after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. His injury record is abysmal and a major source of frustration for the fans.

2. Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire losing his place in the starting lineup at Manchester United during the 2022-23 season was shocking. Erik ten Hag clearly favours the partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as his centre-backs. The club captain rotting away on the bench is an embarrassing sight, to say the least.

It is unlikely that Harry Maguire regains his place in the starting lineup and needs to find a new club as soon as possible. Many reports suggest that AS Roma is looking to make a bid for the out-of-favour defender. Chris Smalling found a new lease of life after leaving the Red Devils to join the Serie A outfit in 2020 and Maguire may follow suit.

1. Fred

Manchester United signed Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018. Since then the midfielder has delivered multiple inconsistent performances. The Brazilian’s unreliability is one of the major factors why Erik ten Hag does not trust him as a starter. Reports from England suggest that MUFC is set to invest in the midfield and Mason Mount is one of the players that is set to sign for the club.

It remains to be seen if MUFC makes a move to sign Marcel Sabitzer on a permanent transfer which could decide Fred’s future at the club. Fulham is said to be interested in signing Fred and their manager Marco Silva was seen having a conversation with Fred after a recent league fixture between the clubs.