Man United squad plans: Who will be out of contract, who should stay, who should Red Devils sell and what happens to Ronaldo?

Joe Wright

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Man United squad plans: Who will be out of contract, who should stay, who should Red Devils sell and what happens to Ronaldo? image

Another year, another rebuild at Manchester United. And we're not talking about fixing the stadium.

While they could yet secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and a return to Champions League football, this has been a terrible season for the Red Devils, whose challenge for top trophies seemed to be over even before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November.

The hated owners, the Glazers, have put plans in place that could see Old Trafford undergo a much-needed redevelopment, but the more pressing concern is what to do with a squad of talented but under-performing stars.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has suggested as many as 10 new players could come in but, as he pointed out, much of that responsibility will rest on the shoulders of the new permanent manager. That man is Erik ten Hag — someone renowned for delivering stylish, successful football via a hardline approach with his players.

However, while the details of his move from Ajax are ironed out, Sporting News has attempted to do some of the leg work for him.

MORE: Who is Erik ten Hag? Manchester United manager candidate playing style, clubs managed & trophies

Here are the United players who will be out of contract after this season, who should be kept at the club, and who should be sold. And we'll also try to answer the question of what to do with Cristiano Ronaldo...

Out of contract

Paul Pogba

Having wanted out for the best part of three seasons, Pogba will be a free agent come the end of June and there is little reason to believe he will sign a new deal.

The France star remains United's most naturally gifted player but his standout performances have been few and far between, with successive managers unable to find a position to suit him without imbalancing the team. United will be sorry to lose him for nothing for the second time in his career, but a parting of the ways feels right for all parties.

Jesse Lingard

Rangnick gave Lingard his blessing to leave in January, but Anthony Martial's loan to Sevilla and the situation around Mason Greenwood complicated matters, and the club ultimately rejected offers.

The England midfielder has started just two games since and was substituted in each one. Unless Ten Hag convinces him otherwise, Lingard's chances of playing at the World Cup will depend on him moving to pastures new. As a player United refused either to use or sell, who will soon leave for nothing, he sums up their wretched transfer policy quite succinctly. 

Edinson Cavani

Solskjaer fought hard to convince Cavani to spend another year at Old Trafford after his valuable contribution in getting them to finish second in the league and reach the Europa League final in 2020/21.

This season, the Uruguay striker has missed 27 matches through injury and his latest calf problem could mean he doesn't play for United again. His commitment to the shirt after crossing the white line has never been in question, but Cavani has seemed quick to rule himself out of contention too often in the past nine months, and that unreliability will not be missed.

Juan Mata

A player kept more for his off-field influence than his uses on the pitch, Mata made his first two league appearances of the season this month as a substitute against Everton and Norwich City.

Although still a capable player and an outstanding professional, the Spaniard turns 34 at the end of April and would be better served enjoying the final years of his career playing a more regular role, perhaps in the mould of compatriots Santi Cazorla at Villarreal or David Silva for Real Sociedad.

Lee Grant

Grant was signed in 2018 for that most peculiar of squad roles: a goalkeeper unlikely to play in any meaningful matches yet still be happy with his lot.

Now 39, Grant has played just twice for United and, with Tom Heaton now their third-choice option, the former Stoke City man is unlikely to have his contract extended.

Who Man United should keep

David de Gea

The emerging threat to his position from Dean Henderson seemed to spark De Gea back into form this season after a post-World Cup hangover that just wouldn't go away.

There are questions over whether his reluctance to stray far from his six-yard box will force Ten Hag to sign a keeper more suitable to his methods, but De Gea remains an excellent shot-stopper and a reported basic wage of £350,000 per week will put off the majority of suitors anyway.

Victor Lindelof

A capable centre-back whose distribution is an undervalued quality, Lindelof is a decent squad option even though his first-choice spot was lost to Raphael Varane at the start of this season.

United's defensive issues rest more on the collective than individuals in the back four. Keeping Lindelof could prove useful.

Harry Maguire

Yes, United overpaid for Harry Maguire. Yes, he's going through an appalling run of form. No, he is not the worst signing in the club's history.

Maguire had a significant impact on United's defence at first: they conceded 54 times in the Premier League in 2018-19 and just 36 in the England defender's first full season. If his form and confidence can be restored, he will be a valuable asset — just perhaps not captaincy material.

Harry Maguire Manchester United 2021-22

Raphael Varane

Injury limited Varane to 16 starts in United's first 32 league games of the season. Six of the Red Devils' eight defeats in that time came when the former Real Madrid man wasn't involved. He also missed the 4-0 hammering by Liverpool at Anfield.

Varane brings experience, strength and, crucially, pace to United's backline. Ten Hag should construct his rearguard around him, providing he can keep him fit.

Diogo Dalot

Dalot's superior attacking qualities have seen him become first-choice under Rangnick ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka (more on him later).

There are still concerns around his defensive positioning but, at 23, he has plenty of scope for improvement.

Luke Shaw

Like Maguire, Shaw's form after England's run to the Euro 2020 final took a nosedive, not helped by recent complications with the leg he broke back in 2015.

Yet Shaw really hit his stride under Solskjaer and has earned the chance to impress Ten Hag once he has recovered full fitness.

Fred

Maligned for much of his United career (sometimes unfairly), Fred has looked rejuvenated under Rangnick in a more box-to-box role in midfield.

He is one of the few United players to display the "aggression" demanded by their interim manager and, presumably, Ten Hag. That makes him potentially very useful.

Scott McTominay

Like Fred, McTominay has often looked out of sorts as a defensive midfielder and far more impactful when allowed to venture forward, as he showed with clinical goalscoring performances against the likes of Leeds United.

Those displays shouldn't come as a surprise — the Scotland international was a striker in his younger days. Giving him licence to attack more would make him of use to Ten Hag.

Bruno Fernandes

There has been remarkable revisionism around Fernandes. In the eyes of many, he seems to have morphed from world-class match-winner to world-class whinger, one not even worthy of playing for the team that he carried for his first 18 months at the club.

In 2021/22, Fernandes has averaged non-penalty expected goals and assists combined of 15.2, which is the highest figure among Premier League midfielders. Keeping him is a no-brainer.

Bruno Fernandes Man Utd 2021

Donny van de Beek

The only thing more curious about United's decision to sign a midfielder who didn't fit Solskjaer's system in the first place was the manager's apparent refusal even to give him a chance.

Van de Beek started just four league games before finally being loaned to Everton in January, where things haven't gone much better. Perhaps his old Ajax boss is the right man to breathe life into his career in England. He deserves a shot, at the very least.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford played through injury in the first half of 2021 and missed out on pre-season after having surgery. Since then, he has looked like a man playing with the weight of the world on his shoulders — a weight that gets heavier with each anonymous performance.

A new manager at United could be the fresh start Rashford needs. Plus, selling a boyhood fan and academy product who has already made more than 300 appearances before turning 25 feels unconscionable.

Jadon Sancho

Sancho has been finding his feet at last under Rangnick, although there is still a long way to go until he justifies the £73m price tag. After all, three goals and three assists in 28 league games is well short of the standard expected of a winger who believes he can win the Ballon d'Or one day.

It's still too early to write off his United career, though. A full pre-season under Ten Hag might set him up for a strong start to 2022/23, which would do wonders for his waning confidence.

Anthony Elanga

One of the few success stories from United's season, Elanga has thrived under Rangnick in particular and has become one of the most dependable options to carry out the interim manager's demands — just look at his Champions League equaliser against Atletico Madrid, or the way he won back the ball in Norwich City's box to tee up Ronaldo.

It seems unlikely Ten Hag would find no use for a young player of such promise and versatility.

Who Man United should sell

Dean Henderson

De Gea's continued problems meant Henderson had reason to believe he could be United's No.1 heading into 2021/22. A bad bout of COVID-19 disrupted his pre-season, though, and once De Gea had begun to recapture form, Henderson was left warming the bench.

Ten Hag may well want to sign a keeper more in-tune with his methods, which would make it pointless to keep Henderson, who is likely to push for a for move to bolster his England chances.

Alex Telles

Telles was not a bad signing — he has offered serviceable competition at left-back to Luke Shaw and performed well when called upon, particularly from an attacking standpoint.

Still, he is not likely to be first choice next season and, with two years to run on his contract, now would be an appropriate time to cash in.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

A fee of close to £49m was close to nonsensical for a right-back who hadn't played 50 league games for Crystal Palace before United signed him.

Wan-Bissaka is a very good one-on-one defender, arguably one who would be better suited to playing at centre-back given his comparative lack of ability on the ball, but he is an inferior option to United's present defenders. The Red Devils should entertain offers, even if that means making a loss.

Eric Bailly

Another player convinced to extend his contract who has since been barely used, Bailly would have looked at Phil Jones' name on the team sheet to face Liverpool and wonder what on Earth possessed him to sign it.

Capable of both the brilliant and the erratic, usually in consecutive matches, the Ivory Coast international needs to be allowed to pursue his career elsewhere.

Eric Bailly

Phil Jones

Jones has gone through an awful two years trying to come back from a knee injury and was probably as surprised as anyone to learn he was starting against Liverpool at Anfield.

One of the last remaining Alex Ferguson players still at the club, the defender's deal runs out next year, so United should sell now. Jones will also be desperate for a fresh start in a World Cup year — it's easy to forget that he was part of the England squad for Russia 2018.

Brandon Williams

After a promising breakthrough under Solskjaer, Williams' progress stalled and he was loaned to Norwich for regular game time.

Having played in 24 of the Canaries' first 32 league games of the season, it's been a useful learning curve for the 21-year-old, who could be better suited looking for a permanent move to a Premier League club rather than sitting on United's bench.

Axel Tuanzebe

Tuanzebe went to Aston Villa on loan after United signed Raphael Varane and didn't sell Bailly. He only played nine times in the league before heading on a similar short-term deal to Napoli, where injury has kept him on the sidelines.

Now 24, Tuanzebe needs fresh air to launch his career. United have an option to extend his contract by a year to the end of 2023/24, but that would seem unlikely to be used.

Andreas Pereira

Pereira had been expected to complete a permanent transfer to Flamengo, where he has spent a largely positive loan spell since last year, but that move has hit complications.

If that deal falls through, alternative transfers for the 26-year-old should be explored as he is unlikely to break back into United's team, despite their midfield problems.

Tahith Chong

A groin injury spoiled the early part of Chong's loan spell at Birmingham City this season, although he returned to Championship action in February for Lee Bowyer's struggling side.

United triggered an option in their academy graduate's contract to keep him until the end of next season, but that was probably done so they could earn a transfer fee for the 22-year-old in the next window.

Anthony Martial

Martial looked to be fulfilling his undoubted potential under Solskjaer, scoring 24 goals in 2019/20, but frustrating inconsistency soon returned. The fact Rangnick allowed him to leave on loan in January, despite United's goalscoring shortcomings, told its own story.

The striker has scored once in 11 appearances for Sevilla and it's hard to see that loan being made permanent. Still, he is unlikely to be short of suitors and, with two years left on his United contract, the Red Devils should earn a decent fee.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo leave Man United?

Cristiano Ronaldo frustrated after missed chances against Watford at Old Trafford
(Getty Images)

Whether Ronaldo is a Manchester United player in 2022/23 depends on the team's performances over the coming five league matches — but even then, it might be largely out of his hands.

Unless they qualify for next season's Champions League, Ronaldo will almost certainly ask to leave the club he rejoined less than a year ago. Even if they do scrape a top-four finish, there will be doubts over whether he will want to stay for another rebuild: at 37, the greatest goalscorer international men's football has ever seen is desperate to compete for major trophies now, not in two or three years' time.

Then there is the question of the manager. It has been reported that Ten Hag will encourage Ronaldo to move on when he takes the job, the forward being incompatible with the Dutch coach's tactical system.

So it is that United and Ronaldo are locked in a peculiar paradox: they depend on his goals to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Champions League — a competition Ronaldo wants to win again before he retires — but he could still leave before they play in it again.

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.