Journalist claims Man Utd to sign off SIX January transfers as three first-team stars jettisoned

Manchester United could reportedly finalise as many as six transfers in the upcoming January transfer window, with three players arriving and a trio of stars offloaded for new boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Having sacked Michael Carrick and brought in Pochettino on a two-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are expected to be active in the winter window.

Pochettino has been brought in to arrest an alarming slide that currently sees Man Utd sitting in the Premier League’s bottom three, having won just one of their opening 10 league outings.

While Carrick had to be shown the door, there is also a growing realisation that the club’s football operations team, led by director of football Jason Wilcox and recruitment chief Christopher Vivell, did not do enough to strengthen the first-team squad, particularly defensively.

And, while signings are expected to be made in January to help in that regard, journalist Alex Crook has claimed that Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez could all leave in January, and not when their contracts expire in the summer.

“There are big-name players coming to the end of their contracts at the end of this season,” Crook told talkSPORT.

“Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez – who could well be moved on in January. I think the ruthless decision now is probably to let all those players go.

“In terms of this winter transfer window, I don’t think it was Manchester United’s plan at the start of the season to invest heavily in January, but I think they’re going to have to now.”

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Four potential Man Utd targets named

Crook has also claimed that Man Utd could sign a centre-back, left-back and striker in January, and he has listed several possible targets.

“I know they’re on the lookout for a left-sided central defender. I think they need a left-back as well,” Crook added.

“I’m pretty sure that Mauricio Pochettino would have had similar conversations to Roberto De Zerbi when he came in at Tottenham…

“He could basically name his own salary and say, look, I need these players in January, I need backing in the summer, and I want more of a say than Michael Carrick had when it comes to recruitment.

“So I think he’s in a really strong position, and I do expect United to be busy.

“The names that are being mentioned in terms of a centre-back… Calvin Bassey at Fulham, Nathan Collins at Brentford, and I’d keep an eye on Antonee Robinson for that left-back position as well.

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“He’s someone who’s been on Manchester United’s radar before and obviously played under Pochettino for the USA.

“There’s also a little bit of talk about Folarin Balogun potentially arriving in January, another who played under him at the USA.”