While much of the focus at Manchester United this summer will be on those who could arrive through the door, a priority for the Red Devils will also be to shift players on, as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to continue his impressive rebuild at the club.
After the lack of authority that was shown during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era – with the Norwegian dubbed a 'soft touch' according to players in the squad – it would appear that the new man at the helm is keen to be ruthless this summer by sparking something of a mass exodus at Old Trafford.
As per the Daily Mail, there could be as many as 13 players who are moved on by the top-four hopefuls ahead of next season, with Ten Hag keen to rid the dressing room of the remnants of the previous regime.
As per the report, there are a handful of Solskjaer's signings who could well be set for pastures new this summer, with that an apparent acceptance that United are keen to move away from life under the treble winner.
The belief is that among the current first-team squad – excluding Alex Telles who is currently out on loan at Sevilla and Facundo Pellistri who is only likely to leave on a temporary deal – three players who were signed by the club's previous permanent manager could be set to leave, with Donny van de Beek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and club captain Harry Maguire all facing uncertain futures at the club.
Although that trio are not the only notable figures who could be shown the door, it is telling of their woes that they are already set for the scrap heap, despite having been signed either in 2020 or 2019, respectively, during Solskjaer's reign.
For many supporters, it may well be a blessing to see those three men line up elsewhere next season, particularly when considering the notable burden of their wages – as well as their exorbitant initial transfer fees.
Will Van de Beek leave Man United this summer?
In the case of Van de Beek, first and foremost, it will come as little surprise to most that the 25-year-old could be among those to depart, with the Netherlands international having endured a wretched time of it at the Theatre of Dreams to date.
Having been signed on a rather hefty £40m deal back in the summer of 2020, the former Ajax ace has never been able to establish himself as a regular fixture in the side, with just 23 of his 60 appearances for the club having come from the start.
While in recent months the Dutchman's impact has been limited after sustaining a season-ending injury back in January, prior to that the playmaker had hardly set the world alight despite reuniting with his former boss, after failing to provide a single goal involvement in ten outings in all competitions.
A run of three successive starts in all competitions in early November had been a potential last-chance saloon for the struggling dud, although the 19-cap midfielder was hooked around the hour mark in each of those outings, having done little to warrant a further look-in.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst stated amid that rare streak of starts, deploying Van de Beek in the side simply "doesn't work", with it perhaps time that a departure is secured – with a return to Ajax having been mooted.
That possible exit would allow United to get the £120k-per-week man's salary off their books, with the peripheral figure set to have cost the club around £6.2m in wages just this season alone by the end of the campaign, as per FBref.
The England duo of Maguire and Wan-Bissaka have also been something of a financial strain of late, with the former having cost around £9.8m by the end of the campaign in wages, while the latter man has come at a cost of £4.6m – totalling £20.6m between the three men for the 2022/23 season.
Will Man United sell Maguire?
In truth, in the case of Maguire, the £190k-per-week man has hardly warranted that salary amid his limp displays this season, with the 30-year-old having been branded "woeful" by pundit Lianne Sanderson earlier in the campaign.
As ex-Liverpool man Jamie Carragher noted back in September, it looks as if it is 'too late' for the former Leicester City ace to save his United career, despite having the chance to enjoy an extended run in the side due to the injury woes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
The £80m man – who has started just seven Premier League games this season – can seemingly do little right at present having scored an unfortunate own goal in the draw with Sevilla last week, while also enduring a shaky start in the weekend win over Nottingham Forest, after picking up an early booking and somewhat escaping giving away a penalty for handball.
It does appear that it would be best for all parties if the ailing skipper is handed a fresh start elsewhere, even if there are reported fears that the centre-back's wage demands could prove a stumbling block in getting him off the books.
Where will Wan-Bissaka be next season?
If the future of both Van de Beek and Maguire does appear rather clear cut, in the case of Wan-Bissaka there may be those who would be keen to see the former Crystal Palace man stay put, having enjoyed a real resurgence of late.
After playing just four minutes in all competitions prior to the World Cup break, the 25-year-old has since been a far more regular fixture under Ten Hag, with 25 appearances to his name across all fronts.
The Croydon-born ace notably produced a "monstrous" display in the Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle United, as per the Daily Express' Alex Turk, with that fine, second-half cameo a real showcase of his remarkable revival.
That being said, however, it was not too long ago that the full-back looked destined for an exit heading into the January window, with The Athletic only recently reporting that the Red Devils could be open to a sale, if a more attacking option can be secured this summer.
As Wan-Bissaka's recent, horrific miss against Everton showcased, the one-time Selhurst Park starlet is still something of a liability in attack, having scored just twice and registered only 11 assists in 151 games across all fronts.
That is a rather measly record, indeed, hence the suggestion that the right-back could be part of this summer's mass departure, calling time on his almost four-year stay in Manchester.
For United to potentially cash in on the £50m man – as well as both Maguire and Van de Beek – would be a poor reflection on Solskjaer's transfer judgement, with those three men having cost around £170m with regard to their transfer fees.
That eye-watering sum is a perfect encapsulation of the scattergun and erratic recruitment drive that has hampered United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Perhaps, under Ten Hag, the future landscape can look rather different…
