Manchester United are set for a busy summer transfer window with plenty of ins and outs, and Gary Neville has named four players who he expects to leave Old Trafford
Gary Neville believes that Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho should all leave Manchester United this summer. Former captain Neville has also named one player who the Red Devils desperately need to keep hold of and ‘build around’.
The Red Devils have made a fast start to the summer transfer window which opened on Sunday, confirming the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves by paying his £62.5million release clause. United are also confident of landing Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo in a £50m deal, fending off interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham.
It’s hoped that those two attacking additions will transform Ruben Amorim’s frontline and it’s why Neville sees the aforementioned quartet leaving Old Trafford. Rashford, Sancho and Antony were all loaned out last season while Garnacho was the subject of interest from Chelsea and Napoli in January.
But one academy product who Neville doesn’t want the Red Devils to sell is Kobbie Mainoo. “On these five I’m pretty certain,” he began on the It’s Called Soccer podcast. “Marcus Rashford has to leave for him and the club. I think that ship has sailed and he needs to find himself another club.
“I would worry that Aston Villa haven’t announced that they’re keeping him already because I think that could have been an easy deal to do with United if they were going to keep him, so it sounds to me like Villa aren’t going to keep him. I would say for Marcus’ sake and for United’s sake that it feels like that path has come to an end.”
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On Sancho, the ex-United defender continued: “I feel a little bit similarly with him as I do with Marcus. I’d be a bit concerned that Chelsea haven’t made the noises that they’re going to keep him.
“Again, Manchester United have to make sure they part ways with him and, from Jadon’s point of view, he has to make sure that he parts ways with Manchester United.”
Neville feels that Antony’s loan spell has been different, labelling Real Betis and La Liga the ‘perfect’ destination. “I can imagine he was absolutely going under while he was at Old Trafford,” he explained.
Who else do Manchester United need to sell this summer? Let us know your picks in the comments section.
“He’s gone to Spain and having seen a couple of players that I played with not do it Old Trafford but do it in Spain… I think he’s suited down to the ground and it’s been proven. Over there, there’s a different tactical awareness, there’s a different technical ability and there’s a way of playing that’s just more suited to players.
“The players I’m referring to are players like Kleberson or Diego Forlan. It just didn’t quite happen for them but they had really good careers and I think there are players like that who just aren’t suited to a league.
“I think Antony is perfect for Spain and, again, somebody who Manchester United should facilitate leaving. It’s best for Antony and best for the club.”
Regarding Garnacho, whose future was thrust into the spotlight after being named on the bench for the Europa League final, Neville said: “I think if players are taking on the manager and if players are questioning the manager in public through social media or through other means, the manager has to win.
“If the manager doesn’t win, the manager has to leave and I don’t think that’s going to happen this time. That’s happened far too many times before. I think Garnacho will leave purely because of that, I think they’ve had enough.
“Garnacho can play in the Premier League, no doubt, but I think he’ll love it in Spain, he’ll thrive over there, he’ll score goals. He’ll probably be someone next season that we’re all looking back on thinking, ‘Why didn’t Manchester United keep him?’, that type of thing will probably happen, there’s an element of that, but I think he has to go.
“That’s not me throwing my toys out the pram and saying, ‘Get him out the club’… no, for him and the club, I think it’s right that he goes. Those four players should leave, not just because Manchester United should let them go, but because they should go and find themselves a place in their lives where they can go and play football because it’s not at Old Trafford.”
But the thought of selling Mainoo – who’s been at United since the age of six – is too much for Neville, despite Amorim also benching him for the last month’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham in Bilbao. “Mainoo, no. That’s a step too far,” Neville affirmed.
“If we can’t give Kobbie Mainoo a job in that two in midfield… I look at Mainoo and the way he plays football and I think a top club would want him. Why can’t we make him a top player? If he’s one of ours and he’s shown talent.
“I don’t know what’s gone on there in the last few months. He’s obviously had some injuries which has caused him a problem so he needs to stay fit, but I’d like to think he could be one of that two in midfield that Ruben Amorim plays.
“It’s probably not Casemiro as his partner and it’s probably not [Manuel] Ugarte as his partner, it’s probably someone else in there who is better than those two, if I’m being honest. But we should be building around Kobbie Mainoo in central midfield and not because he’s come through the ranks.”
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