Manchester United have seen a high turnover of players in recent years, with most failing to deliver at Old Trafford. The club have been among the Premier League's biggest spenders but have little to show for it, apart from winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in 2023 and 2024 respectively. They also reached the Europa League final in 2025, but were beaten by Tottenham.
It's a far cry from the side United were under Sir Alex Ferguson, when they had a settled team who won pretty much everything. More recently, they have been a shadow of their former selves, with players coming and going after failing to meet expectations. Express Sport revisits the 44 players who have left United on permanent exits since the 2022/23 season.
Midfielders and forwards on the move
James Garner is currently plying his trade at Everton, where he is regarded as a key player. He is also a fully-fledged England international and featured in the Nations League defeat to Spain last week. Andreas Pereira spent three years at Fulham after leaving United in the summer of 2022. Now aged 30, he plays for Brazilian giants Palmeiras.
Tahith Chong returned to the Premier League with Luton Town after leaving Old Trafford, but they were relegated after one season. He's now a fringe player for Championship side Sheffield United. Jesse Lingard's post-United career took him to Nottingham Forest, FC Seoul and Corinthians, where he remains to this day.
Nemanja Matic recently turned 38 but is still going strong at Sassuolo. This season, he has started every league game for the Italian heavyweights. Paul Pogba is currently without a club after he was released by Monaco over the summer. It's been reported that he could join Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor in the not-too-distant future.
From retirement to new challenges
Juan Mata hasn't played for a club since leaving Melbourne Victory at the end of last season. He branched into media work during the World Cup, serving as a pundit on ITV. Edinson Cavani is also unemployed at the moment, having departed Boca Juniors earlier this year. He has been recovering from a number of injury setbacks, including a herniated disc that required back surgery.
Lee Grant retired from football at the end of the 2021/22 season and has since embarked on a career in coaching. He currently manages Walsall after his previous spell in charge of Huddersfield Town ended after only eight months. Cristiano Ronaldo still plays for Al-Nassr, where he is said to be earning in excess of £3million per week. He remains determined to reach a career milestone of 1,000 goals. To achieve that, he needs just 21 more.
Anthony Elanga emerged as a key player for Nottingham Forest before earning a move to Newcastle. He started their first three Premier League games before picking up an unspecified injury, which he is still recovering from. Dean Henderson is one of the few players to have won meaningful silverware since leaving Old Trafford, clinching the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League titles with Crystal Palace.
Mixed fortunes across Europe and beyond
Fred joined Fenerbahce in 2023, making over 80 appearances for the Turkish giants before moving to Atletico Mineiro earlier this year. Matej Kovar spent three years as a back-up for Bayer Leverkusen before joining PSV Eindhoven, where he has played regularly. He also represents his national team and played against England earlier this week. Alex Telles is among the many former United stars to have moved to Brazil since leaving Old Trafford. He currently plays for Botafogo.
Zidane Iqbal was tipped for big things when he became the first South Asian to play in the Champions League, but is yet to reach his full potential. He joined Dundee United earlier this year. Eric Bailly played for Besiktas, Villarreal and Real Oviedo following his United exit in the summer of 2023. Now aged 32, he finds himself in the MLS with Columbus Crew.
Axel Tuanzebe has played in the Premier League with Ipswich Town and Burnley in recent seasons, in addition to featuring at this summer's World Cup for DR Congo. He recently joined French top-flight side Auxerre. David de Gea has made over 75 appearances for Fiorentina since joining the club in 2024, having spent the entirety of the previous season as a free agent.
Rising stars and unexpected exits
Phil Jones announced his retirement from football in 2024 and moved straight into coaching. He joined Blackburn Rovers as a first-team coach back in February before switching to a similar role at Sheffield United in the summer. Mason Greenwood scored plenty of goals during a two-year spell at Marseille, who bought him from United in 2024. He now plays for Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Scott McTominay has emerged as one of Serie A's best midfielders during his time at Napoli, winning the league title in his debut season and earning the league's most valuable player award. He also represented Scotland at this summer's World Cup. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has enjoyed a steady career in English football since leaving United in 2024. He was a regular for West Ham United before they were relegated at the end of last season. The defender is currently on loan at Aston Villa.
Alvaro Carreras joined Benfica after departing Old Trafford, where he caught the attention of Real Madrid. They signed him in the summer of 2025 and he is regarded as a squad player at the Bernabeu. Willy Kambwala showed plenty of promise during his time at United but was sold to Villarreal in 2024. He struggled to break into the first-team squad, though, and is currently on loan at Como.
Struggles and fresh starts
Hannibal Mejbri is a regular for Burnley and played in the Premier League last season as the Clarets were immediately relegated back to the Championship. Facundo Pellistri was lauded as a future star during his time at United, but like so many others, has failed to realise his true potential. Still only 24, he now plays for Greek side Panathinaikos.
Donny van de Beek joined Girona after failing to impress at United and hasn't really kicked on there, either. He was unable to prevent their relegation from La Liga earlier this year and has only started one second-tier game this season. Omari Forson, another failed United wonderkid, now plays for Italian side Monza, making just 17 appearances and scoring once following his move in 2024.
Raphael Varane announced his retirement in 2024 after a two-month spell at Como, which was cut short by injury. He joined the board of directors shortly afterwards, helping to shape the club's long-term strategy. Anthony Martial, the once-hyped teenage superstar, is now in his thirties and finds himself without a club after he was released by Mexican club Monterrey earlier this year.
Free agents and new beginnings
Brandon Williams was released by United in the summer of 2024. He later received a high-speed dangerous driving conviction and went through a period of mental health struggles away from the pitch. He is currently a free agent. Alejandro Garnacho's time at United ended on a sour note and things haven't really improved for him since. He joined Chelsea last summer but failed to make his mark at Stamford Bridge and was loaned to Aston Villa, where he is yet to start a Premier League game.
Despite being arguably the biggest waste of money for United in recent seasons, Antony has emerged as a star player for Real Betis. He was named in the Europa League team of the season for 2025/26 as Betis reached the quarter-finals. Victor Lindelof joined Aston Villa after leaving United in the summer of 2025 and has remained there since, although he is mainly used as a bit-part player by Unai Emery.
Jonny Evans is currently a member of Michael Carrick's coaching team at United. He recently signed a new two-year deal at Old Trafford, keeping him there until the summer of 2028. Christian Eriksen is currently without a club, having left Wolfsburg in the summer after suffering a second on-pitch collapse in June. He famously survived a cardiac arrest during Denmark's game against Finland at Euro 2020.
Scoring form and coaching roles
Rasmus Hojlund has been scoring for fun since joining Napoli, initially on loan at the start of last season before completing a permanent switch earlier this summer. He has found the net on 18 occasions in all competitions for the Italian giants. Radek Vitek, the former United goalkeeper, joined Middlesbrough on a permanent basis earlier this year. So far this season, he has started every league game for the Teesside outfit, conceding only 12 goals in total.
Toby Collyer is settling into life at West Bromwich Albion, having joined the Baggies on a permanent deal following a loan spell at the club last season. Casemiro now plays on the same team as Lionel Messi after joining Inter Miami in the summer. He left United on a free transfer at the end of the previous campaign.
Tyler Fredricson made a surprise summer exit, joining Swiss top-flight side Lausanne-Sport on a permanent deal. He played twice at the start of the season but is currently sidelined with a broken metatarsal. Tyrell Malacia has ventured across the Atlantic since he was released by United at the end of last season. He signed a one-year deal with FC Cincinnati but is yet to play for his new team in the MLS.
Jadon Sancho is currently a free agent, having struggled to find a club since leaving Old Trafford in the summer. He has been keeping himself fit by training alone at non-league club Flixton, who are based in Manchester.
