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Some semblance of calm has returned to Manchester United, after the disastrous start made under Jose Mourinho earlier in the season.
Since Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s appointment, the Red Devils have seen a massive transformation in their fortunes and remain unbeaten in the league after 10 matches, with the Norwegian manager setting a new record for most points garnered after 10 games in charge.
There is a genuine feel-good factor at Old Trafford these days, with a top-four finish now a distinct possibility which seemed unattainable less than two months ago.
United have rediscovered their swagger, playing with an attacking verve which was sorely lacking during those gloomy days of Mou, which has concordantly seen an upturn in fortunes of some players.
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Players such as Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof and Marcus Rashford amongst others are at the forefront of United’s revival, as the shackles placed on them by the restrictive footballing tactics deployed by Mourinho have been broken.
Although a majority of United’s players have seen their stock improve, that has not been the case with the rest of them, as others have failed to step up to the plate and are not deserving of a spot in the team next season. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four players who should be sold off by United in the summer.
#5 Eric Bailly
Eric Bailly was the first signing of the Jose Mourinho era at United, having joined the club for the sum of £30m from Villareal, with the Portuguese manager expressing great satisfaction at his arrival.
The Ivorian international had made a name for himself in La Liga as a tough tackling, no holds barred defender who was not unwilling to put his body on the line for his team, which is the archetypical quality sought by Mourinho in a defender.
Bailly’s debut season went well enough, as he cemented his place in the first team, before an unfortunate knee injury hampered his progress, restricting him to just 13 league appearances in his second season.
Since then, Bailly has been a shadow of himself and has struggled to regain his place in the first team, while he has looked very shaky on the few occasions when he has played.
So far this season, Bailly has made just 10 EPL appearances, while also making a number of comical errors on the occasions when he has played, with his performance in the 3-2 loss against Brighton earlier in the season being the nadir.
Solksjaer has shown a preference for a central defensive pairing of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof, while Phil Jones is also an option, which limits the chances that Bailly has of making it back into the first team.
On his day, Bailly is an extremely reliable defender, however current circumstances means that his impact on the team is minimal and with him still in his prime, it is imperative that he moves on to another club.
#4 Fred
A long-term target of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Fred was highly sought after following his performances at Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Catalan making him a prime target for the last two seasons.
However, in a remarkable twist of events, Manchester United entered the fray at the last moment and thumped their city rivals to the Brazilian’s signature (much like they did with another player on this list) and Mourinho could not hide his joy at his capture, stating that a team is not complete without a Brazilian.
The 25-year-old had a substandard debut against Leicester, as he showed signs of nervousness, but his manager and some fans were quick to defend him that he needed time to settle down at the club owing to the difference in stature between his former and current employers.
However, things have gone from bad to worse for the Brazilian, as he has failed to improve his standing in the United pecking order, barely getting a look in by Solksjaer.
So far this season, Fred has made just 10 EPL appearances, while he is yet to start a single league match under his new boss, which is a damning indictment on him considering the sizable sum United expended to get his services.
Almost a year on from his arrival, Fred is yet to truly spark for United and having failed to win the trust of two different managers at United, it might be time for the Mancunians to part ways with him.
#3 Matteo Darmian
Matteo Darmian joined Manchester United in 2015 from Torino for a sum of about £12.7m, but since then he has failed to make any meaningful contribution to the Manchester United cause.
Primarily a full-back, the 29-year-old has been deployed across the entirety of United’s backline, essentially being a jack of all trades but a master of none.
The Italian international fared fairly well in his debut season, making 28 appearances in the Premier League and 39 in all competitions, but since then his figures have been dropping at an alarming rate with no signs of improvement.
His second season saw him make 18 PL appearances and 29 in all competitions, while that dropped to eight and 17 matches in the PL and all competitions respectively last season.
So far this campaign, he has made just five appearances in the Premier League (mostly coming on as a substitute), while he does not appear to be in Solksjaer’s plans.
Darmian has been a bit-part player making sporadic appearances for the entirety of his United career and considering that this is the final year of his contract, it is hard to argue a case for United extending it.
#2 Antonio Valencia
The longest serving player in the current United squad and team captain, Antonio Valencia joined the Red Devils from Wigan in 2009 and over the last decade has proven himself to be one of the most loyal servants to the club, with his dedication and commitment to the United cause.
Signed as a winger, the Ecuadorian was converted into a makeshift right-back by Louis Van Gaal and since then he has taken to the spot almost naturally, such that he was one of United’s better performers in the gloomy days post-Fergie.
The 33-year-old has never had cause to lose his first team shirt for the entirety of his United career, but that changed in the final days of Mourinho’s reign, as it appeared that the Portuguese fell out with his skipper, with reports later emerging that Valencia ‘liked’ a post on social media calling for Mourinho to be sacked.
So far this season, Valencia has made just five Premier League appearances, while he is also into the final year of his contract.
Considering that he would be 34 by the time next season starts, there are indications that the club’s hierarchy might not extend his contract and the time might just be right for United to bid farewell to one of their most committed players in recent history.
#1 Alexis Sanchez
It says a lot about your abilities when two of the greatest coaches of all time and two of the biggest clubs in the world go head to head in a bid for your signature and that was exactly the situation Alexis Sanchez found himself in during the winter transfer window of 2018 when Guardiola and Mourinho went all out to sign him.
The Chilean had earlier been the subject of a concrete bid by Manchester City on deadline day in August 2017, but the deal reportedly fell through due to Arsenal failing to get a replacement in time.
Pep returned for his man four months later, but had a massive competitor in the form of his cross-town rival Jose Mourinho, with Sanchez’ transfer saga being one of the more protracted of that window.
City eventually bucked, as they were unwilling to match United’s personal terms and the then 30-year-old Sanchez became a United player in a move which was highly publicized, with his Piano Playing unveiling video going viral across social media.
However, since then, Sanchez has looked a shadow of the player he was at Arsenal, going from a confident player unafraid to take on responsibilities and terrorize defenses to one who is unsure of himself and unable to decide matches on his own.
So far, Sanchez has managed just five goals from 33 matches in all competitions for Manchester United, with his performances in the colors of the Red Devils drawing condemnation and criticism from fans all over the world, while he has also lost his starting spot in the team.
Over a year on from his arrival, United fans are still waiting for ‘it’ to happen for Sanchez, but from all indications, that might never happen, which is made more frustrating by the fact that he is the highest paid player in Premier League history reportedly earning a massive £400,000 per week.
Sanchez is a luxury too expensive to maintain and for as long as he doesn’t justify his humongous wages, it might be time for United to call it quits on the Sanchez experiment, although getting a buyer considering his high salary and duration of his contract could prove problematic.
