Manchester United are currently set to lose a staggering 15 players on free transfers by the end of the 2022-23 season, including the likes of David De Gea and Marcus Rashford. Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, Lee Grant, and Edinson Cavani could all depart Ralf Rangnick’s side when their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign.
And the next permanent United manager could have even more issues in their debut season at Old Trafford, as a further eight players would walk away for nothing if new contracts cannot be agreed.
Despite the elation from their acquisitions of Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Raphael Varane, dark stormy clouds seem to be gathering over the red side of Manchester.
United may have crawled into the Champions League places just before the Premier League break, but they are a whopping 19 points away from fierce rivals Manchester City.
And their troubles could become a lot worse if no action is taken to persuade the individuals in the final months of their contracts.
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Meanwhile, United’s most important players this season, Ronaldo and De Gea could also depart the club on a free transfer at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, along with Tom Heaton, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Nemanja Matic, Fred, and Rashford.
Ronaldo only signed a two-year contract when he returned to the club in the summer, and considering recent reports have hinted at a possible exit for the former Real Madrid and Juventus ace, new contract talks could be very difficult.
Meanwhile, De Gea and Rashford could also be set for their own departures, if they do not agree new deals before the end of next season.
De Gea’s resurgence this season is perhaps the only thing which has kept United within touching distance of the Champions League places, while Rashford’s last minute goal against West Ham fired the Reds into the top four for the first time under Rangnick’s stewardship.
Rashford and De Gea's contracts expire in July 2023 (Image: GETTY)
And the Englishman’s contractual situation could be brought into sharper focus, as reports from French journalists Fabrice Hawkins and Hadrien Grenier, claim Paris Saint-Germain are courting Rashford.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side look set to lose Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid at the end of the season, and Rashford appears to be one of the many stars who could potentially replace the Frenchman.
PSG would be in a very strong negotiation position if they were to proceed with a transfer bid for the United striker in the summer.
Having entered the final year of his contract, this summer would represent United’s only chance to receive a sizable fee for Rashford, unless they were to pen him to another deal.
De Gea would also be in the same boat as the Englishman, and if the Spaniard’s incredible form continues, then Europe’s giants could once again start circling the goalkeeper in the summer.