The Red Devils will have to get rid of a big pile of deadwood once their disastrous 2024-25 campaign draws to a close
"In Manchester United, you don't have the time," Ruben Amorim said when quizzed on his future after the Red Devils were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday. "I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast. In here, the pressure is too big sometimes."
That was United's 13th Premier League defeat of the season, one fewer than their all-time worst tally set in 2023-24, and it left them seven points behind 10th-placed Bournemouth with only eight games remaining. It's safe to say that Amorim's side won't salvage a top-half finish, and United will also miss out on continental football for the first time in 10 years if they fail to win the Europa League.
No wonder Amorim is feeling the pressure. The former Sporting CP boss signed a contract until 2027 when replacing Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November, but there is no guarantee he will see that through after failing to inspire an immediate turnaround in fortunes.
Amorim's future will depend on how he navigates the summer transfer window, which allows him to start rebuilding the squad in his image. According to , that will involve the sale of up to 10 first-team players, on top of departing free agents such as Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof.
The question is: who should be sacrificed so that Amorim can afford to start bringing in his top targets? GOAL runs through the 10 stars who must be on the chopping block…
Getty Rasmus Hojlund
In the final nine minutes of United's clash with Forest, veteran centre-back Harry Maguire was pushed upfront to try and use his aerial prowess to grab an equaliser. It never came, but during that time Maguire posted an expected goals total of 0.6, more than Rasmus Hojlund had accumulated in any of his previous 15 appearances for the Red Devils – as per .
Indeed, Hojlund has only scored eight goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this term, with just three of those coming in the Premier League. That's not even close to good enough for a striker who cost £72 million ($92m).
The harsh truth is that United have no hope of rediscovering past glories with the goal-shy Dane leading the line. Hojlund is still only 22, but Amorim doesn't have the time to wait around for him to start realising his potential, especially not while proven marksmen like Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Victor Osimhen are all on the market.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAntony
"I have found myself again. I am very happy here. Every day I wake up with a smile and that is very important," Antony admitted to in February after a bright start to his loan spell at Real Betis. The Brazilian has racked up eight goal contributions in his first 12 appearances for Betis, helping them emerge as contenders for Champions League qualification from La Liga and reach the latter stages of the Europa Conference League.
Antony suddenly looks like the exciting young winger he was at Ajax again, having clearly benefitted from shaking off the £85m ($112m) price tag that proved too heavy for him to carry at Old Trafford. But United must not be lured into the trap of thinking he now deserves a second chance.
During his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Red Devils, Antony was almost completely useless. His pathetic haul of five goals and three assists in the Premier League confirms as much, and United have to make sure he if offloaded permanently in the summer, even if they have to accept a big loss on their initial investment.
Getty Images SportAndre Onana
Andre Onana was supposed to be the final piece in the puzzle for Ten Hag's project at United. After guiding the team to a third-place finish in his first season at the helm, the Dutchman turned to another of his former Ajax prodigies after the departure of long-term No.1 David de Gea as United struck a £48m ($63m) deal with Italian giants Inter.
Unfortunately, United have only gone backwards with Onana between the sticks. He's put a target on his own back with a series of high-profile mistakes, including in the home defeats to Forest and Brighton this season.
The Red Devils also came very close to losing to Ipswich at Old Trafford because of Onana's poor handling and distribution, with the Cameroonian reduced to a laughing stock among his peers. Onana has cost United vital points far too often, and Amorim will be fighting a losing battle again next term if he does not prioritise the signing of a new first-choice goalkeeper.
(C)Getty ImagesMarcus Rashford
Surprise, surprise: Marcus Rashford is playing well again. The United academy graduate essentially downed tools under Amorim before forcing a loan move to Aston Villa in January, and has since reminded everyone of his undeniable qualities in the West Midlands, posting seven goal involvements in 11 games.
But Rashford's form will fall off a cliff at some point, because it always does. He's a temperamental player who only delivers in short bursts, which is evidenced by the fact he only broke the 10-goal barrier in the Premier League in four of his previous nine seasons at United.
Rashford used up his nine lives a long time ago. It would make no sense for Amorim to draft the disruptive England international back into his plans as he attempts to fix the player power culture that has held United back in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era; if Villa or any other suitor offers around £40m ($53m) for Rashford this summer, United should bite their hands off.
