Man Utd 'To Sell' Four Players In January As Four-Man Transfer Shortlist Revealed
Manchester United will attempt to sell four players in January to raise funds for new additions, it has been reported.
United started the week in seventh place in the Premier League table ahead of the midweek set of fixtures.
They defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday thanks to second-half goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.
Out of their four summer signings, only goalkeeper Senne Lammens and forward Bryan Mbeumo started the game, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko both out injured.
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It has been widely reported that, having focused on adding to their attack in the summer, midfield will be a key transfer priority for United in the upcoming January window.
They have been linked with moves for Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson in recent months.
ESPN report that they want to add two new midfielders, with Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller - who is said to be the only player 'likely to be affordable and available' in January - and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton on the shortlist alongside Baleba and Anderson.
To do so, however, they will need to raise funds from player sales due to the Premier League's financial rules.
United sold Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea for £40 million in the summer, with the Argentinian classed as 'pure profit' - where his entire fee could instantly be counted in the club's accounts, rather than spread out over the length of a contract - due to graduating through the club's academy.
But it is claimed that more leeway is needed for fresh signings.
United will reportedly listen to offers for Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Tyrell Malacia and - perhaps most surprisingly - Kobbie Mainoo.
Malacia was part of United's 'bomb squad' of players training away from the first team over the summer, but the left-back did not seal a move away from Old Trafford.
Manager Ruben Amorim re-added him to the first team squad in September, with it later being reported by The Athletic that the request of United's players to re-integrate him was 'taken on board'.
Malacia has appeared on the bench on several occasions this season, but still hasn't played a single minute and it would not be a huge shock to see him moved on in January.
Zirkzee has recently returned from a long injury lay-off and scored in the 2-1 win over Palace, but was criticised for his performance in United's 1-0 defeat to Everton last Monday.
The Dutchman is arguably the third-choice striker when the injured duo of Sesko and Cunha are available.
Ugarte, meanwhile, has struggled for form this season and has played 90 minutes once.
And Mainoo, a United academy graduate and still only 20 years of age, has failed to break into Amorim's starting XI.
He asked for a loan move away from Old Trafford in the summer only to see it turned down by Amorim, but he has been unable to displace Casemiro or Bruno Fernandes.
With a World Cup on the horizon next summer, Mainoo's hopes of playing for England in the tournament appear to be bleak already, but he will need first team football to have any chance of being selected by Thomas Tuchel.
Everton, Tottenham and Arsenal have all been linked with moves for the central midfielder.
Topics: Man Utd
Ryan Smart