Looking for players in the January transfer window? Contact Manchester United.
While they sit in thirteenth place in the Premier League and new manager Ruben Amorim still has his feet on the ground, the decision makers at Old Trafford are ready to listen to serious offers for all but two members of their selection. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made himself an unpopular figure by cutting jobs and employee benefits over the past 12 months, and now that ruthlessness will translate onto the pitch.
Almost no one is safe in Amorim's roster, with bids expected to come in between now and the end of January. But which players should be valued more than others? Who is untouchable and whose time is up?
Mirror Football takes the hotseat at Old Trafford to take the lead.
The untouchables
Let's start with who we think shouldn't be allowed – and certainly won't be sold – in January. Starting with who is reportedly off the table: Leny Yoro and Amad have been given special status by United chiefs.
Highly rated centre-back Yoro, signed for £52million last summer, is still at Old Trafford after an ankle injury ruled him out until early December. Meanwhile, Amad has been the standout player since Amorim's appointment. He scored memorable late goals against rivals Manchester City and Anfield, brilliant moments that show why the club have offered him a new long-term contract.
Earlier this year, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho were named as part of a three-man list of so-called untouchables – more on a third later – but now United are open to selling the pair of academy graduates. However, there is no doubt that Mainoo and Garnacho possess the natural talent to take the Red Devils back to the top, and they need to stay at 19 and 21 respectively to hone their skills.
Too early to sell
This is where the debate really begins. To be bold for a moment, is there a senior United player who deserves the benefit of the doubt after years of under-performing?
Goalkeeper Andre Onana has been a mixed bag since his £47million move from Inter Milan, but given how the club's goalkeeping department is primed for a major shake-up elsewhere, we think it's best to stick with the Cameroonian for now. In defence, the versatile Noussair Mazraoui has perhaps been United's most successful summer signing. He performed admirably under both Erik ten Hag and Amorim, so there is no reason to let him go.
Matthijs de Ligt joined him from Bayern Munich and has shown a glimpse of why he was once Europe's most coveted young centre-back. Harry Maguire has just extended his contract until 2026, has been named leader by his manager and seems more comfortable in Amorim's three-back system.
One man who hasn't done that is Diogo Dalot, who was mainly used as a left back. The Portugal international is reportedly Real Madrid's backup option if they fail to sign Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, so there appears to be interest in him.
However, if United are successful in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain ace Nuno Mendes, Dalot could return to the right and start to flourish. Mendes played under Amorim at Sporting Lisbon, as did Manuel Ugarte, whose performance at Anfield was the kind of performance fans expected when United shelled out £42m for him, so it's certainly too early to sell him.
Things will be toughest for Amorim up front, with Rasmus Hojlund – the third previously untouchable player – and Joshua Zirkzee both failing this season. Hojlund joined for a whopping £72 million and after a promising end to last season he is in a lock-up.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, was signed for £34 million and should take the burden off the Dane. Instead, the Dutchman has had his own problems, infamously being mocked when he was taken off the pitch after just 33 minutes against Newcastle.
There is potential in both players, aged 21 and 23 respectively, and United would be better off with an experienced number 9 to show them the ropes. A loan move could benefit either of them, but they should not both be sold and leave Amorim without a recognized striker.
Enough to prove
The jury is still out on many more big signings at Old Trafford and even captain Bruno Fernandes. Although the United captain was at his creative best in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, he has largely been disappointed over the past 18 months and has been accused of lacking the leadership qualities required to captain United.
Fernandes signed a new contract in August that will tie him down until 2027, after reportedly receiving interest from Barcelona, Bayern and Saudi Arabia. But the midfielder turns 31 at the start of next season, so if the Red Devils want to take a long-term approach, selling Fernandes for a big fee could prove to be a smart decision, with the risk of short-term pain.
An easier decision would be to sell backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. The Turkish substitute's agent says he would like to stay, but as Amorim would target another goalkeeper to challenge Onana in 2025, his sale would make sense.
Continuing this section, two players who have been held back by injury hell: Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount. Malacia recently returned for a terrible 16-month layoff, while Mount has simply failed to get going since his £55m move from Chelsea in 2023.
The sight of the 25-year-old going down just 14 minutes into last month's Manchester derby was tough to watch and although Amorim says he 'loves Mount', it would be worth making an offer consider if a substantial offer were somehow made. The same goes for Lisandro Martinez, who struggles to play as a left centre-back in Amorim's preferred formation, which he will not change.
United are still interested in left-footed Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite and have also been linked with Goncalo Inacio, who used Amorim for the role at Sporting. Martinez was particularly impressive in his first season at Old Trafford following his £57million move from Ajax in 2022, but United cannot ignore his small size and injury record.
Time is up
Starting with Tom Heaton, the veteran goalkeeper has been a good servant since returning to United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021, but his contract expires this summer and he appears ready for the exit. The same goes for 37-year-old Jonny Evans, fellow defender Victor Lindelof, who is currently injured, and Christian Eriksen, a rumored target for former club Ajax.
Speaking of ex-Ajax players, it would be a huge surprise to see Antony even in the Red Devils' squad in six months' time. The Brazilian cost a whopping £82 million and while United have no chance of recouping that transfer, he should be on the chopping block.
The same goes for £350,000-a-week midfielder Casemiro, who is of interest to clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo could reunite with him at Al-Nassr and his departure would go a long way towards balancing United's wage book.
Marcus Rashford is of course probably the most high-profile departure from Old Traford this month, with the forward publicly admitting last month that he is 'ready' for a new challenge. Rashford has not featured since December 14 and it is becoming clear that his two-decade association with United is about to end.
Luke Shaw is in his 11th season at United but has played just three games, which sums up his injury woes. There is no doubt that he is still one of the best left-backs on his day. Unfortunately for Shaw, those days are becoming increasingly rare, so his services should be offered.
Finally, Jadon Sancho has shown signs of promise on loan at Chelsea, who are committed to making his stay permanent next summer for around £25 million. The 24-year-old failed under several United managers, so that should be his credit.
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