Erik ten Hag to put five Man United players up for sale ahead of summer rebuild

After much speculation, Man United finally announced the appointment of current Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as their new manager on April 21. 

The news will be a much-needed tonic for the club’s supporters. United have endured a miserable season. 

Ralf Rangnick’s time as interim manager can hardly be thought of as a success on the pitch. The team has often looked bereft of ideas and any identifiable style of play. That is in a similar vein to the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era. The Norwegian was sacked last November. 

A change is very much needed if Manchester United are going to challenge for the title again. 

What has been more galling for United to accept, is that their recent demise has coincided with Liverpool and neighbours Manchester City becoming dominant over the past five years. 

On April 23, Manchester United suffered their tenth league defeat of the season with a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. 

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United were yet again guilty of poor defending for Arsenal’s opening goal. Nuno Tavares fired home after just three minutes. 

United have now conceded 51 goals in the Premier League this season. They have comfortably the worst defensive record of the top eight. 

Yet it could have been a different story if Bruno Fernandes had not missed a penalty which would have levelled the game at 2-2. 

While a bad result, the performance was not as humiliating as the capitulation at Liverpool on April 19. United lost 4-0 to their arch enemies. 

Better days could be around the corner, however. As per The Sun, ten Hag will have a transfer budget of £200 million this summer. 

It will be much needed, as Manchester United will have to undergo the most extensive rebuild in the club’s modern-day history. 

Five players already up for sale as rebuild begins 

According to the Daily Mirror, Erik ten Hag has already sanctioned the sale of five Man United players. 

It is thought that he is willing to listen to offers for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Phil Jones and Anthony Martial. 

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Ten Hag’s transfer budget is likely to be further boosted by any player sales. 

The names of those on the transfer list will likely not come as any great surprise to Manchester United fans. 

Wan Bissaka has had a disappointing season. He has not made huge strides since joining the club three years ago in a £45 million deal from Crystal Palace.

Bailly, meanwhile, has struggled to stay fit and on form during his time at Old Trafford. Phil Jones has also suffered a huge amount of injuries over the past few seasons. 

Anthony Martial has failed to impress during his loan spell at Sevilla, and has often looked a disinterested figure at Old Trafford. 

The sale of Alex Telles, however, might raise one or two eyebrows. He has often been preferred by Rangnick over Luke Shaw. In addition, he can also offer an attacking outlet at left-back. 

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