Man Utd urged to sell Cristiano Ronaldo and eight others in summer clearout - 7M sport

Man Utd urged to sell Cristiano Ronaldo and eight others in summer clearout



Posted Saturday, March 19, 2022 by Express.co.uk

CRISTIANO RONALDO is one of nine players Man Utd have been urged to sell

Manchester United have had a poor season after being tipped for a Premier League title challange, and they will have to wait until next season to push for silverware. Because of this, United have been urged to part company with nine players, including Cristiano Ronaldo in a mass clearout.

Manchester United are expected to appoint a new long-term boss next summer, and whoever is appointed has already been urged to have a clearout.

When Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho were signed this summer, United were expected to be one of the sides challenging for the title. However, they will be lucky to finish in the top four after a disastrous season.

United are far from being ready to challenge for the Premier League, and even after their summer investment, this season has proved that they are still miles away from where they need to be. Due to the harsh realisation, United have been urged to part way with nine stars next summer, including Ronaldo.

Man Utd urged to sell Cristiano Ronaldo and eight others in summer clearout
Man Utd have been urged to sell Cristiano Ronaldo next summer (Image: GETTY)

The frailties at Old Trafford have been highlighted this season in brutal circumstances, and it's at the theatre of dreams that United have been knocked out of every competition. Middlesbrough beat them on penalties in the FA Cup, West Ham won 1-0 to progress in the Carabao Cup, and Atletico Madrid's recent win ended United's European dreams.

And their brutal defeats to both Liverpool and Manchester City at Old Trafford proved that they are levels away from their rivals, and a clearout has been advised. That's according to former Premier League star Darren Bent, who has called for nine players to be removed - including five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo.

Bent told talkSPORT: "The ones you keep are [David] de Gea, you keep [Raphael] Varane. You need a new right-back, I think. I don’t think [Scott] McTominay is good enough but he’s own of your own. Building-wise? Nope.

"I think Fred is a weird one because you have to say he’s been one in the last few weeks who has gone, 'You know what? I’m up for this'. But I guess if you’re trying to start against and build a successful side, he might have to go.

"You keep [Jadon] Sancho. [Cristiano] Ronaldo has got to to go. [Edinson] Cavani has got to go. [Anthony] Martial has got to go. [Marcus] Rashford is the one where, if the new manager fancies him, there’s something there.

"If he can get that best out of him then you keep him because he’s young. And [Paul] Pogba is going to go anyway, he’s on a free at the end of the season. If Manchester United have got any kind of aspirations [he should go].

Man Utd urged to sell Cristiano Ronaldo and eight others in summer clearout
Paul Pogba is expected to leave for free in the summer (Image: GETTY)

"I love Pogba as a player, I really do, but Manchester United fans are becoming sick of saying, 'we’re waiting for that consistency', so he’d have to go." The former Premier League striker also claimed that United captain Harry Maguire needs to be replaced, and he said that Luke Shaw is another player who could well be sold.

And Bent thinks it's imperative that they do so, as he feels as though they need to start making changes now to avoid falling even further behind Liverpool and City. Bent added: "They are miles away. I said five years the other day but it could even be more like eight years."

United face a tough time getting into the top four this season, as north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are currently favourites to land a Champions League spot ahead of Ralf Rangnick's side. That's because both sides have a game in hand on United, although they still have to face one another.

If United don't make the top four, it's likely that a lot of their stars will leave anyway, as it seems unlikely that Ronaldo will be wanting to settle for anything less than the Champions League. And if they do miss out, signing new stars will be an issue too.

It's going to be a gruelling task for whoever replaced Rangnick at the end of the season, with Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag currently the favourites. But if United fail to get top four, it could deter them from taking the job.

It's set to be a vital summer for United, who have now gone without a trophy for five years, and are fast approaching a decade without league success.



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