Amorim brutally plots 11 player clearout as Man Utd prepare to bin off £380m worth of signings

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are ready to show as many as 11 players the door at Old Trafford this summer in an effort to cut costs and aid their rebuilding plans – and with several top signings of their own having also been identified.

The Portuguese coach took charge of Manchester United in November as the successor to Erik ten Hag and the first managerial appointment of the INEOS era at Old Trafford. However, Amorim’s impact so far has been minimal and the Red Devils still languishing in the same 13th position in the Premier League table in which he inherited them.

With the club now destined to finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1990, both minority shareholder Ratcliffe and boss Amorim have quickly realised a major rebuilding job is required at Old Trafford both to catapult the club back towards challenging for major honours and to help bring the coach’s 3-4-2-1 formation to life.

As a result, the club are gearing up for what could be a historical summer on the transfer front.

However, with Ratcliffe also painfully aware that United need to keep a careful eye on the books to ensure they are not in breach of the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), a number of high-profile stars are also now set to be shown the door.

Per the Manchester Evening News, United plan to offload 10 names this summer, with the exodus being led by three wingers in the homegrown Marcus Rashford, together with £85m Antony and Jadon Sancho, who cost £73m.

Midfielder Casemiro – a £70m signing from Real Madrid in summer 2023 – will also finally move on, with Ratcliffe having made it a priority to shift his £350,000 a week wages off the books.

In addition, defenders Victor Lindelof (£29m), Luke Shaw (£30m) and Tyrell Malacia (£13m) are all likely to leave – the former as a free agent at the end of his contract. Christian Eriksen will also leave on a free, while both Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans are expected to retire upon their releases too.

Sources have also indicated to TEAMtalk that Harry Maguire – despite his qualities and determination having impressed Amorim since his arrival – also remains up for sale, with the Portuguese seeking a buyer for the £80m star and seeking a defender better suited to his three-man defensive line.

READ MORE 🔴⚫ Sources: Man Utd desperate to sell £80m player to sign left-footed English ‘specimen’

Man Utd planning big investment with multiple signings planned

Were all 11 players to leave, United would be preparing to wave off some £380m worth of signings, with their incoming fees likely to result in major losses for the club.

However, with millions saved off the wage bill in the process, Ratcliffe will see the departures as a necessary gain to help with the rebuilding plans of their own.

To that end, Amorim would like to sign a new centre-half, a right-sided wing-back, at least one central midfielder, another No.10, who is comfortable drifting out wide and a centre forward.

A new goalkeeper – potentially even funded by the exit of Andre Onana – cannot be ruled out with James Trafford and Lucas Chevalier on their list of targets.

The priority, though, at this moment in time is to sign a new No.9 and a player capable of significantly boosting their goalscoring tally and spearheading Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. And with a four-man shopping list drawn up, United are likely to apportion a large percentage of any summer budget on signing the right man to lead the line.

Of that quartet who could lead the line for United next season, the name of Victor Osimhen appears the one most frequently mentioned. And Amorim’s hopes of landing the free-scoring Nigeria, destined to leave Napoli for a cut-price €75m (£62.7m, $81m) this summer, has been lifted after a major suitor surprisingly dropped out of the running.

Man Utd midfielder hunt on as links to Newcastle star are confirmed

In their quest to replace both Eriksen and Casemiro in the engine room, Amorim is expected to target two new midfield signings this summer.

And sources have confirmed to us that United’s interest in prising long-term target Sean Longstaff away from Newcastle this summer are genuine – though the player’s views on a move could yet throw a spanner in the works.

As detailed, with cash likely to be tight and a careful watch kept over spending, Ratcliffe has put behind them the days of multiple marquee signings – meaning a deal for Longstaff – out of contract in summer 2026 – certainly makes a lot of sense.

Elsewhere on the incomings front, Wilcox is reported to be driving a United bid to bring a former Man City midfielder back to the Premier League with the player’s career scaling new heights in the Bundesliga.

Sources have also confirmed United remain very much on the trail for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite to bolster their defence. The Everton man, subject of two failed bids by Ratcliffe last summer, could be on the move this summer with the defender seen as perfect for a three-man rearguard and with their prospects of a move aided by his exclusion this month by Thomas Tuchel from his first England squad and amid claims the player will now seek a high-profile move to aid his international ambitions.

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