Manchester United need to raise funds and quickly, so here are six potential transfers in 2025 that could bring in £200m for Ruben Amorim’s huge rebuild…
The extraordinary finish to the Manchester derby should give Amorim‘s underperforming squad a much-needed confidence boost, but Man Utd (nor Man City, really) deserved to take all three points from a bizarre match.
So, the fact remains that the Red Devils require an almighty rebuild in 2025 as Amorim – who has inherited a basket case of a club suffering after years of poor off-field decisions – has a massive job ahead of him.
It feels like Groundhog Day again, as this was also the case in 2022 upon Erik ten Hag’s arrival. Since the Dutchman’s appointment, dire recruitment has contributed to Man Utd arguably going backwards rather than forwards.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe supposedly brought in the ‘best in class’ to support him but it remains to be seen whether his increasingly laughable regime is up to the task of leading Man Utd.
Failings in the transfer market leave Amorim with fewer than ten ‘unsellables’ and upgrades are required all over the pitch if they are to return to challenging for the Premier League and Champions League any time soon.
Unfortunately for Amorim, Man Utd have a ‘tight budget’ heading into the winter transfer window and may have to sell players to raise funds.
So, from the least expensive potential deal upwards, here are six somewhat feasible 2025 sales (fees taken from transfermarkt) they could sanction to bolster Amorim’s war chest…
Casemiro to Galatasaray (£10m)
Ratcliffe and co. are rueing the previous regime’s baffling decision to give the ageing Casemiro a four-year (plus extension option) contract when he was bought from Real Madrid for an eye-watering £60m in 2022.
Casemiro’s form has sharply declined since his positive debut season. He does not appear to be part of Amorim’s plans as the 32-year-old has been an unused substitute in United’s last three Premier League games.
Realistically, Man Utd just need to get Casemiro’s high wage off the books and this could come as a free transfer. A Saudi Pro League move has consistently been mooted, but there is also reported interest from Galatasaray, who could give him an opportunity to ply his trade with/against several Premier League has-beens (including Jose Mourinho) in the Turkish Super Lig.
READ: Seven reasons to be cheerful as Manchester United fans features Amorim’s lieutenant
Andre Onana to Inter Milan (£29m)
David De Gea’s replacement overcame a couple of post-transfer disasterclasses in the Champions League to establish himself at Man Utd. He’s been one of their better performers over the past 18 months.
Despite this, Man Utd have still consistently been linked with potential upgrades and his worrying recent performances (which have seen him lose his spot as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League) are starting to justify these calls.
United have more prominent priorities to address than replacing Onana, but the 28-year-old is among very few valuable assets that could attract interest; a return to Inter Milan to replace 36-year-old Yann Sommer (for a fee lower than they sold him) could suit all parties.
Joshua Zirkzee to Juventus (£34m)
Ratcliffe’s best of the best have shown themselves to be the opposite since being appointed in the summer and the Zirkzee signing has swiftly been proven a misstep.
In the summer, Man Utd needed a natural No.9 to challenge Rasmus Hojlund, but Zirkzee – whose lack of pace and poor hold-up play has been alarming – is absolutely not that. He was brought in as a low-cost option when a better-suited alternative could have been pursued and as the saying goes: ‘Buy cheap, buy twice.’
So a new striker is required to compete with Hojlund and Zirkzee’s exit could pave the way for this transfer.
Juventus are among the clubs linked and their director didn’t exactly rule out signing the underperforming forward when recently asked about the topic, saying: “I can just say that Zirkzee is a very good player, but he’s under contract at Man Utd. I can’t add more now, we’re focusing on completely different things now.”
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Alejandro Garnacho to Atletico Madrid (£41m)
One of the two players brutally omitted by Amorim for the derby, Garnacho’s inclusion among fellow ‘unsellables’ raised eyebrows as his recent form and attitude have not justified his inclusion in this exclusive club.
Following Amorim’s implementation of his preferred 3-4-3 formation, Rio Ferdinand questioned whether Garnacho and four other players fit into the head coach’s system and the Argentina international certainly has not been helped by the appointment of Ten Hag’s successor.
Whether as a wing-back or No.10, it’s felt like Garnacho was shoehorned into Amorim’s team pre-derby and the head coach is reportedly ‘willing to facilitate’ his exit in 2025. A ‘dream’ return to boyhood club Atletico Madrid is said to be on the table and he is perhaps the only player who could attract a fee higher than his current market value…for pure profit, too!
READ: Man City and Man Utd are ‘mere vessels for ego and soft power’
Lisandro Martinez to Real Madrid (£41m)
Largely due to his height, Martinez was written off before even making his Man Utd debut, but he’s silenced his naysayers by surpassing all expectations at Old Trafford.
Man Utd’s defence features on an overgrown list of issues, though Martinez was sorely missed when he was injured. He also fits perfectly in Amorim’s three-man defence as a left-sided option.
Most players leaving Man Utd in 2025 will either step sideways or downward, but Martinez is one star whose performances justify a move to an elite European club and he Premier League giants would reportedly be ‘tempted’ to cash in if Real Madrid step up their interest.
Marcus Rashford to Arsenal (£45m)
Rashford’s derby omission hammered another nail in his coffin en route to leaving Man Utd, which could happen sooner than most expected after his bombshell interview with journalist Henry Winter.
The England international has progressively descended deeper into mediocrity since shining during Ten Hag’s debut season in 2022/23 and he has much fewer exit options than a couple of years ago.
In the Premier League, Arsenal (or Tottenham Hotspur, maybe) stick out as a possibility but they are still a bit of a stretch. For the Gunners, head coach Mikel Arteta is capable of reviving a fallen star and Rashford could be a nice fit in his preferred role as a left-winger. Gabriel Martinelli certainly requires sterner competition after plateauing in Bukayo Saka’s shadow.
