Manchester United
Premier League • England
Ten Hag to decide futures of two senior Man Utd stars, with Newcastle to pounce if surprise axe falls
Erik ten Hag will have the final say on whether two Man Utd stars are axed this summer, and his decision will be keenly observed by Newcastle and a pair of European heavyweights, per a trusted source.
The size of Man Utd’s summer transfer budget may depend entirely on whether the Glazer family are bought out. In the event the unpopular American owners remain, the Telegraph are among several outlets who’ve reported United must sell before before spending big.
To that end, something of a clear-out could be on the cards, with a whole host of established stars already linked with leaving.
Indeed, the Manchester Evening News claimed Harry Maguire, Alex Telles and Anthony Martial have all been put up for sale.
Loan deals for Anthony Elanga, Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo could all be sanctioned. Elsewhere, starting goalkeeper David de Gea may wind up moving to a London club if he’s unwilling to accept a significant pay cut in negotiations over a contract extension.
However, today’s update regards two outfield players, with Fabrizio Romano reporting decisions on Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay are coming.
Lindelof, McTominay futures in Ten Hag’s hands
Lindelof, 28, is arguably no higher than fourth-choice at centre-half right now. The Sweden captain recently teased a summer exit when reminding his manager he wants more minutes than he’s getting.
McTominay, meanwhile, has seen his own game-time slashed following the twin arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Marcel Sabitzer’s loan arrival placed another obstacle in his path and if a permanent move for the Austrian is sanctioned, the writing will be on the wall for McTominay.
His lowly position in the pecking order suggests a sale would make sense, though his status as a homegrown player would make an exit a surprising one.
Romano tweeted Ten Hag ‘will decide’ whether to stick or twist on the pair in the coming months. If it’s the latter, the transfer guru detailed where the players may move to next.
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McTominay to Newcastle? Lindelof to Inter/Atletico?
McTominay is understood to be highly thought of up at St. James’ Park. Indeed, Magpies boss Eddie Howe is a huge admirer of two of the Scotland international’s key traits.
Newcastle look certain to have some form of European campaign added to their fixture list next season. As such, numerous quality additions will be required and McTominay would also bring a wealth of European experience.
talkSPORT recently reported Man Utd are ready to cash in on McTominay this summer. Football Insider later claimed a £25m bid might be enough to seal a deal, while the Athletic subsequently confirmed he ‘could be available’ this summer.
Clearly, there’s no smoke without fire in this instance.
With regards to Lindelof, Romano reiterated the Swede had interest from Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid in the January window.
United had no intention of sanctioning a mid-season exit, especially with EFL Cup, FA Cup and Europa League campaigns poised to test their strength in depth.
The story could be a different one six months on, and both Inter and Atletico may be given a second bite of the cherry.
Of course, if United were to axe Lindelof and/or Maguire, a new centre-half would be required.
On that front, the Mirror recently claimed a Dutch international is who Ten Hag would turn to.