Man Utd keep or sell: No clear-out but £130m signings should go

Manchester United should be looking to shift at least four contracted players this summer as they prepare for the Champions League.

The Red Devils’ place in the next season’s Champions League is all-but assured after a 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday night.

The first decision United have to make is around their manager. Should Michael Carrick get the permanent job? They are, after all, the Premier League’s best since he took over. Or are they looking to hire a different big-name coach?

Either way, the United squad needs some attention this summer. Not an overhaul, but there are issues that must be addressed.

Their priority: a midfield replacement for Casemiro. Whoever manages United next season needs a new deep-lying midfielder to break up and build up. And probably another midfielder besides.

United have played the fewest number of games possible this season and next term, their workload is certain to increase by 25 per cent. A successful campaign will see that schedule swell by close to 50 per cent, so United’s squad must be built to cope with that.

So there can be no clear-out, even if United wanted one. But some players still need to be shifted.

Here, not including those out of contract this summer, or those currently out on loan with no future, is who we reckon should be kept and who ought to be on their way…

Senne Lammens – KEEP

Finally, a competent goalkeeper. Actually, Lammens is better than that, and many feel he could be one of the very best. But for now, not being an awful drama queen is enough to represent an upgrade on the last fella. A very encouraging first season that has vindicated the decision to go with the unproven Belgian rather than Emi Martinez.

Altay Bayindir – SELL

The back-up keeper has a year left on his contract and if United can make any money by selling him, they probably should. He’s often looked shaky, rarely reliable, which really is all you want in a back-up keeper. It would leave United short of cover, though, with Radek Vítek understandably not keen on coming back from Bristol City to sit on a bench.

Harry Maguire – KEEP

The centre-back has signed a new contract so that’s that. His redemption arc will be studied.

Lisandro Martinez – KEEP

The Argentina star’s fitness concerns make this a bigger debate than it ought to be. Stick for now, unless someone comes in with silly money for a player with a year plus one left on his contract.

Matthijs De Ligt – KEEP

Even if United wanted to sell, who would buy a player who’s missed five months of the season with an injury that seems far from straightforward? If De Ligt is fit, he starts. But this injury is a concern.

Leny Yoro – KEEP

If the two above weren’t so fragile, maybe United might be tempted to see what market there might be for Yoro. He’s still young – only 20 – and elegant but too easily bullied. Perhaps he’d go to Real Madrid and become the next Franz Beckenbauer, but it’s a different gig at United and in the Premier League. That said, he’s 20. Patience might yet pay.

Ayden Heaven – KEEP

Younger than Yoro but right now, perhaps the one you would pick out of the pair.

Luke Shaw – KEEP

Paul Scholes reckons United ought to sell Shaw because he doesn’t play enough. Which would have been a fair assessment prior to a season in which he’s been the Red Devils’ only ever-present. Selling one of the best defenders on the books just as he got healthy is a very Woodward era thing to do, even if he’s entering the last year of his contract.

Diogo Dalot – KEEP

Just. Dalot is maybe fortunate there are other more urgent areas United need to upgrade this summer.

Noussair Mazraoui – KEEP

Can cover in both full-back positions where United aren’t blessed with much depth. Mazraoui will almost certainly see more action next season amid a busier schedule, but if he can’t oust Dalot, then United need to to be planning for a top-class right-back in the not-too-distant future.

Patrick Dorgu – KEEP

Bought as a wing-back, which United no longer use – not that he was much good there – but Dorgu was starting to highlight his usefulness as a left winger prior to his injury. The Dane offers a more direct option to Matheus Cunha, and United aren’t flush with wingers. Let’s see what he can do with some regular minutes on the flank.

Manuel Ugarte – SELL

Just get whatever you can for him, Jim. Buttons will do.

MORE: Man Utd and Casemiro must not spoil the perfect goodbye

Kobbie Mainoo – KEEP

Ruben Amorim should be in The Hague for coming as close as he did to binning the academy graduate. United’s biggest priority this summer is finding a midfield mate for Mainoo.

Bruno Fernandes – KEEP

And United tried to sell the skipper last summer too. We can understand, if not accept, when a no-nothing on the street doesn’t rate Fernandes, but we should forever be wary of the fact that those at United paid for their nous on these matters looked at Fernandes and decided he was expendable. Morons.

Mason Mount – SELL

A lovely footballer and a good egg, apparently, but Mount is never going to start when Fernandes is around. Maybe he’s content with a substitute role but United ought to be thinking of moving him on and Mount, now 27, should be looking for more minutes elsewhere.

Bryan Mbeumo – KEEP

Obvious, really.

Matheus Cunha – KEEP

Same.

Amad Diallo – KEEP

Amad’s form has slumped, oddly at the same time he no longer had to do a job as a wing-back, but we’re not even close to the point of thinking it might be time to sell the 23-year-old. Shea Lacey’s emergence should serve as a kick up the Ivorian’s arse.

Benjamin Sesko – KEEP

Sesko might still have some convincing to do, but 10 Premier League goals in his first season, half of which was spent with little to no service under Amorim, is an encouraging return. Will Chido Obi be ready to serve as an understudy next season? We suspect United will need another centre-forward, especially if they sell this fella…

Joshua Zirkzee – SELL

A nine-and-a-half, you say? That’s not a thing. At least, it’s not a thing of much use to United. The Red Devils need to hope Zirkzee’s form in Bologna is still fresh-ish in the minds of Serie A sporting directors.