Five players Man Utd must sell including Pogba, Lingard and Sanchez as Ole gets ready for summer transfer splurge
PAUL POGBA is expected to leave when the summer transfer window eventually opens – but there are four other players that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must move on too.
The Manchester United contract rebel is desperate to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season following an injury-hit campaign.
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Pogba’s contract at the Red Devils expires in 2021 with an option to extend it for another year.
But with the Frenchman already unhappy in Manchester, club chiefs know that they risk frustrating him by doing so.
The Frenchman has planned to keep his options open with a return to former club Juventus an option and he has also been heavily linked with Real Madrid – with Zinedine Zidane a big fan of his French compatriot.
Alexis Sanchez
Solskjaer was happy for Sanchez to join Inter Milan on loan last summer, but in January of this year claimed that the Chilean will be back and that he’ll “prove you all wrong”.
Whether that’s the case remains to be seen, but even if he does return, it’s hard to see where the former Barcelona and Arsenal man fits on the bench, never mind the starting XI.
Sanchez’s astronomical wages will be the reason he’s unlikely to move easily.
It may be a case of paying him out, or agreeing to accept a smaller transfer in order to get him out of the door quicker.
His move to Old Trafford has been nothing short of a disaster.
Jesse Lingard
I’m not sure what has actually happened to the academy graduate. The last 18 months haven’t been great, and Lingard has lost his place for club and country.
There’s also a lot of unhappiness from supporters about his immature and often ill-timed social media posts.
When the statistic column shows he has been scoring goals and creating chances, then his activity away from the field isn’t an issue.
When he fails to produce on a consistent basis, then supporters can easily become disgruntled, quickly turn, and lose sympathy.
At his best, Lingard was capable of finding the net in the big games but sadly we’ve not seen that for some time.
It just feels like now is the natural time for him to move on and seek a fresh challenge.
Chris Smalling
There’s been moments this season when I’ve thought United could have done with Smalling, because he’s certainly quicker and better in the air than Victor Lindelof.
But, a loan move to Italian side Roma has revitalised Smalling’s career, which could mean his value is high and that the club could command a “better” fee for him than 12 months ago.
I would have liked to have seen Smalling stay at United and develop some kind of understanding with Harry Maguire, but with Lindelof, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly also in contention for a spot next to the England captain, there’s unlikely to be a road back for him.
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Phil Jones
Jones should have left last summer, or like Smalling, secured a loan move to re-establish himself.
Jones is the type of player who needs a consistent run of games in order to play his best football, so his sporadic appearances this campaign have only made things worse.
You do wonder if Jones can ever find his best form, even at another club, given some of his performances.
It’s a shame to see a player, who Sir Alex Ferguson once compared to Duncan Edwards, deteriorate so rapidly.
Twitter @MrTomMcDermott