Man Utd working to sell four first-team stars before transfer deadline as asking prices emerge

A year ago, as he embarked on his first – and ultimately only – pre-season as Manchester United boss, Ruben Amorim left behind a 'bomb squad' of exiled players, as he and the rest of the squad jetted off to the USA for the club's summer tour.

The exiled squad included Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho. Of the exiled five, only Rashford has remained at United, after Barcelona turned down the opportunity to make his season-long loan move permanent.

Amorim's successor, Michael Carrick, has adopted a different approach to those players surplus to requirements and has chosen to include them in United's pre-season squad, rather than leave them behind to train at the club's Carrington training complex.

Even though those players earmarked for sale this summer have been involved in United's pre-season plans, efforts are being made behind the scenes to find buyers for them, to raise funds to reinvest into Carrick's squad and ensure the club remains on the right side of the Premier League's strict profit and sustainability rules.

So who are the United players up for sale this summer, if a buying club can be found. SPORTbible takes a look at those candidates staring at the Old Trafford exit door.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford has found himself back at United, after Barcelona rejected the option to make his season-long loan deal permanent, instead signing his England World Cup team-mate Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for £80 million.

Rashford returned to pre-season training this week and was included in the squad that flew to Dublin to continue the build-up to the new campaign, but there is no doubt the 28-year-old is available to other clubs for the right price, with United wanting around £25m for their home-grown product, who looked destined for a long and glittering career at his boyhood club when he burst onto the scene a decade ago, but who has since lost his way and is facing an uncertain future at an age when he should arguably be at the peak of his career.

The major stumbling block to Rashford securing a move is his £300,000-a-week salary, which few clubs are willing or able to match, meaning he is almost certain to have to take a wage cut to find a new club or go out on another season-long loan, which suits neither him or United, who would prefer to recoup money on a player who, despite his obvious talent, does not feature in the new-look set-up under Carrick.

Joshua Zirkzee

Like Rashford, Zirkzee is a forward who has become an outcast at United, who are exploring options for both a permanent move and loan deal for the Dutch star, who joined two years ago from Bologna for £36.5m, but who has failed to convince in that time.

Just five goals in 56 Premier League appearances tells the miserable story of Zirkzee's time at United, which reached its nadir in December 2024 when sections of the home support at Old Trafford cheered his withdrawal after just 33 minutes, following an inept performance from the 25-year-old.

Juventus have made known their interest in Zirkzee, with a loan deal the likeliest option, although a permanent deal cannot be ruled out, with United valuing the versatile forward at around £25m.

With Benjamin Sesko leading United's attack, supported by fellow attackers Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo, Amad and skipper Bruno Fernandes, there is no future for Zirkzee at the Theatre of Dreams, which has turned into the stuff of nightmares for him.

Matthijs de Ligt

The central defender has not played for United since last November, when a mysterious back complaint sidelined him for the remainder of last season. Until his enforced absence through injury, De Ligt had been a key player for United, starting the opening 13 games of the season – and playing every minute. After undergoing surgery in May, De Ligt was unable to recover in time to represent Netherlands at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but is now back in pre-season training with United in Dublin, as part of their build-up to the new campaign.

But with Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Lisandro Martinez all ahead of him in the central defensive pecking order, following his prolonged lay-off, United may choose to cut their losses on the 27-year-old, who joined from Bayern Munich two years ago for a fee of £38.5m, including £4.3m in add-ons, if a buying club can be found, although De Ligt's injury history is likely to put many clubs off from moving for him.

Lisandro Martinez

If United are to offload a centre-back this summer, it will be between De Ligt and Martinez, who also spent much of last season sidelined by injury. Martinez, who played seven of Argentina's eight games at the World Cup, including the final, in which he suffered a thigh injury and was forced off in the first-half.

Martinez has been a hostage to injury for much of his United career, since Erik ten Hag brought him from Ajax with him in 2022. A broken metatarsal, followed by another foot injury, a torn ACL the season before last and a calf strain last season, have cast doubt on the wisdom of keeping a player whose uncompromising and – at times – reckless approach to defending leads to him spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch.

Martinez is out of contract next summer, and although there is the option to extend his deal by 12 months, the United hierarchy may well decide the time is right to cash in on a player whose stock is still high following the World Cup and who could fetch up to £40m on the transfer market, which, given he is 28 and with his chequered injury history, would be a fee United could simply not turn down.