Manchester United have enjoyed a rich vein of form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and though the Norwegian is still yet to be appointed as the permanent manager for the Red Devils, it can be assumed that the club, in general, will like to make some changes to the squad as they aim to compete for the Premier League title next season.
In this article, we will discuss three players Manchester United should sell in the summer.
Marcos Rojo
Despite their excellent form under Solskjaer, the defence has remained as one of United’s key weaknesses and the injury-prone nature of players like Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones haven’t helped either.
Rojo, in particular, has barely played football in the past couple of seasons, having made only 11 Premier League appearances since the start of last season. During that period, Rojo has suffered four different injuries, including the cruciate ligament rupture that kept him on the sidelines for almost seven months in 2017.
And with United already in the search for a new defender, the club should definitely cash in on Rojo in order to fund a move for their new arrivals.
Several reports claim that Manchester United have allowed Rojo to train with his former club Estudiantes and it won’t be surprising to see the defender return to his native Argentina in the summer.
Matteo Darmian
Another defender who has struggled to crack the United first-team following the departure of Louis Van Gaal is Italian international Matteo Darmian.
While the former Torino right-back may not as injury-prone as Rojo, he has struggled with inconsistency for the most part of his stint at Old Trafford and has also been a tad unlucky with his lack of first-team opportunities.
In fact, Darmian has featured in just over 800 minutes of league football since the start of the 2017/18 campaign, which is clearly unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
Thus, it would be wiser for United to ship Darmian on a permanent deal away from Old Trafford next season. Juventus shockingly emerged as a potential suitor for Darmian last summer, and the Italian international should find no dearth of suitors if he is made available.
Juan Mata
After five years of service, it might be time for Juan Mata to move on from Manchester United in the summer.
The Spaniard has often looked out of pace and has struggled to integrate into Solskjaer’s attacking brand of football while the emergence of Paul Pogba, who has now become United’s main source of creativity, hasn’t been helpful either.
As a matter of fact, Mata has mustered just over 1,000 minutes of league football, during which he has been involved in five goals. But, the former Chelsea star will turn 31 next month, and it is unlikely that he will be included in Manchester United’s regular first-team plans next season.
Therefore, a move away from Old Trafford could be a sensible one for Mata as United look to refresh their attacking unit in the summer.