Manchester United could be in for a major summer when it comes to incomings and outgoings at the club. Michael Carrick is set to make several key decisions in the summer transfer window after a huge season of transition.
Five players who could play their final Man Utd match tomorrow against Brighton
It has been a huge season of transition for Manchester United and the summer looks set to bring further change. Michael Carrick more than steadied the ship after taking over from the beleaguered Ruben Amorim in January and guiding the club to third in the Premier League. With Carrick to take charge of the club going forward, all eyes are now on incomings and outgoings once United's season wraps up against Brighton on Sunday.
United have topped up their transfer kitty by selling Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli, Barcelona will have a major decision to make over the on-loan Marcus Rashford, while Andre Onana could make a permanent move to Trabzonspor, where he is currently playing his football. Yet there are five more stars that United could bid farewell to this Sunday.
Manuel Ugarte
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos regime planned to give new signings two seasons to prove themselves. Ugarte is approaching the end of his second year at the club and the Uruguayan has failed to convince. United shelled out £50.5million to sign Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2024. The deep-lying midfielder was supposed to bring grit and steel into the club's engine room after he emerged as one of the most promising defensive midfielders in Europe during a breakout spell with Sporting CP. However, Carrick has not favoured the 25-year-old, with Ugarte not playing a minute since playing against Leeds in April and a move looks likely.
Altay Bayindir
It remains to be seen whether Bayindir will look to reignite his career elsewhere or spend another season warming the bench at Old Trafford. The Turkish shot stopper has been heavily linked with a move away, which would allow him to play more. While he ousted Onana at the start of last season, that was said to be more of an indictment of the latter. A major mistake against Arsenal on the opening day was tough to recover from and the arrival of Senne Lammens has all but confirmed Bayindir's fate at United.
Joshua Zirkzee
Signed at a time when the club was in chaos, on and off the pitch, the Dutch star somewhat sums up United's years in the wilderness. Nearly two years on since he signed from Bologna for £36m, it is difficult to know what his best position is. The 24-year-old is not a traditional No. 9 and struggles to perform in a wider and deeper role. A paltry nine goals in 74 league appearances show why Carrick does not favour him. When called upon, as Carrick did at Sunderland earlier this month, Zirkzee has done little to convince he has a future at the club, with a summer move perhaps in the best interest of all parties.
Mason Mount
It has long been reported that United's priority this summer is to revamp their midfield, with Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Aurelien Tchouameni all linked. While Mount is coming towards the end of his third season at Old Trafford, it is safe to say that the transfer has not worked as he would have hoped. The former Chelsea man has failed to live up to his billing and could be sold to generate funds. The 27-year-old, who is under contract with United until the summer of 2028, has only made 24 appearances in all competitions so far this season. Club legend Gary Neville even entertained the idea of selling Mount this summer after being sceptical of the £53m signing to begin with.
Matthijs de Ligt
Perhaps it would be a controversial move but United have shifted away from playing a back three under Carrick, with the United boss favouring Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez. While the Dutch defender has been injured for the majority of the season, missing five months, his reliability has led United to assess their options in the market. De Ligt is now on the comeback trail from his lengthy lay-off, but at 26, United still could demand a hefty fee for the centre-back who cost them around £43m in August 2024.
