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Wayne Rooney names just TWO Man Utd players he'd keep as he says there's 'no way back' for rest of squad

Home> Football> Football News> Man Utd

Published 11:16 13 Mar 2025 GMT

Wayne Rooney names just TWO Man Utd players he'd keep as he says there's 'no way back' for rest of squad

Wayne Rooney would only keep two players at Manchester United this summer and gave a damning verdict of the squad.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Wayne Rooney has named the only two Manchester United players he would keep at the club as he demanded wholesale changes to be made.

The club are currently languishing in 14th place in the table after a dire season and look unlikely to finish the campaign in the top half.

After suffering an FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham, the Europa League is now United's only chance of silverware this season and winning it will see them return to the Champions League.

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But with the team seriously struggling to find any type of consistency under Ruben Amorim, United legend Rooney believes the club must get rid of the majority of their squad and start from their scratch in the summer transfer window.

In fact, United's record goalscorer would only retain captain Bruno Fernandes and wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo as he called out the majority of players for a lack of character and fight.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Rooney said: "[On whether there is a way back for this Manchester United team] No, I don’t think so. They look lost. They look scared. Bruno [Fernandes] is the one who keeps producing, he annoys you at times but keeps producing. They need massive changes to the squad, I think 10-15 players need to leave the club. Obviously, they can’t do that, but there is a mentality there where no one is taking responsibility [in the squad].

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“[On the players to keep] I’d keep Bruno and [Kobbie] Mainoo. There is a culture at the club where it’s too easy to lose games and the players come out and say, ‘Onto the next one,’ and all that rubbish. Just show some character and fight on the pitch. It’s bad watching, it hurts. Being from Liverpool but spending so many years at United, I want the team to do well, I’ve got my kids in the academy, and it hurts watching them.”

Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo are the only players United should keep, according to Wayne Rooney. Image: Getty
Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo are the only players United should keep, according to Wayne Rooney. Image: Getty

Mainoo plans to leave United

Though Rooney believes Mainoo is a player United should be building the team around, it appears as though the England international has already made his mind up.

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According to a report from The Guardian, Mainoo, who is said to earn £20,000-a-week, intends to reject any contract offers from United.

He has been heavily courted by Premier League rivals Chelsea but it is reported that Mainoo's preference is for a big move abroad.

Though they still haven't given up on convincing him to stay, United are willing to offload Mainoo if their £70 million valuation is met.

Featured Image Credit: The Overlap

Topics: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, Premier League

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

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@joshlawless_

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