3 players Manchester United should sell in January 2019

Man Utd has underperformed since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, and with Jose Mourinho's exit and Ole Gunnar Solskjær's arrival, fans have new hope. Jose's tactics have been a big restraint on the development of young talents like Anthony Martial & Marcus Rashford, and his defense-first approach has caused players to perform below-par.

However, that's not the only reason for their sluggish performances. Many players have underperformed, and we doubt that some even deserve to wear the prestigious red jersey.

With the January window approaching, the club should be looking to sell a few players, especially those who do not have a future at Utd.

Here we look at three players who should be sold in the coming transfer window.

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#3 Phil Jones

The 26-year old has been a part of United's squad for quite some time

Witless defending has been the primary cause of United's downfall, and this has continued for some years now. Phil Jones is a central figure of this problem. The 26-year old has been a part of United's squad for quite some time, and Sir Alex Ferguson was optimistic about his qualities, believing that he could develop into a leader for United's defense in the future. We are yet to see that.

Jones has made 183 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists. Yes he is not a goalscorer, but this tally should have been much better than it is.

In these appearances, he was able to record only 57 clean sheets. His performances have not been terrible, at least when compared to others, but his injury-prone characteristic has been a significant cause of his hindered growth.

This season, he has made only 3 appearances for the Reds in the Premier League, making 4 tackles, and winning only two. He missed the decisive penalty against Derby County which led to United's exit from the EFL, and then scored a hilarious own goal against Valencia in the Champions League.

#2 Nemanja Matic

Matic has been one of the worst performers for United this season

We know that he has not been here for a long time, but with Mourinho's exit, his future at Old Trafford looks doubtful. It would not be wrong to say that Matic has been one of the worst performers for United this season.

After arriving from Chelsea with a big reputation, many expected him to be a rock in United's midfield. He had a solid first season with the Reds, but his performances since the World Cup have been dreadful.

He has made 20 appearances this season, and is yet to score a goal or record an assist. Scoring goals for a defensive midfielder could be hard, but not having the vision to find players in the opposition box is very poor, at least for a United player.

His discipline has been a major issue as well, earning 3 yellow cards and a red card in just 14 PL appearances.

#1 Matteo Darmian

His lack of contribution at the other end of the pitch has restricted his game-time

Before criticising the 29-year old Italian, we should applaud the professionalism showed by him. Even after not playing regularly and almost being sold in the last window, Darmian has done well to honour his contract.

After joining United in 2015-16, fans were very optimistic about his qualities and versatility. He made 28 appearances in the Premier League that season, scoring only a solitary goal, and providing no assist.

His lack of contribution at the other end of the pitch has restricted his game-time, as he has made only 58 appearances. Being a full-back, the Premier League demands quality crossing, and this is a flaw in his game.

This season, he has made only 4 appearances, providing nothing offensively. Defensively he is solid, the intrinsic characteristic of an Italian defender, but he still needs to develop his distribution of the ball to become a solid right-back.

All stats via transfermarkt