Exclusive: Man United exodus driven by Amorim amid financial surprise
Man United’s summer exodus is primarily motivated by Ruben Amorim’s desire to revamp the beaten Europa League finalist’s squad.
That is the view of football finance expert Dan Plumley, who exclusively told Football Insider the Portuguese boss wants to “shake that squad up”.
After missing out on a place in next season’s Champions League, and the estimated £100m in revenue to go with it, the Red Devils looked like they would be in a tough spot financially [BBC Sport].
But United’s decision to sign Matheus Cunha whilst also working on a deal for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo suggests otherwise.
Several big names are expected to leave the club this summer, including Barcelona target Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Jadon Sancho.
Man United squad clearance Ruben Amorim’s choice
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, finance expert Plumley said the decision to clear out the squad was primarily motivated by Amorim’s desire to refresh the squad rather than as a financial necessity.
The senior lecturer from Sheffield Hallam University admitted there would be “financial incentives” in doing so, but they were not the primary motivation.
Plumley previously revealed to Football Insider that United would have no PSR issues, despite what fans may have been led to believe.
He said: “I think the bigger thing for me with those players is actually, it seems to be that the manager wants them to move on. We’ve seen the position with Rashford, we’ve seen Antony’s gone out on loan.
“We’ve also seen the stories about Garnacho, and there are a couple of big bids on the table, or so we’re led to believe for Garnacho.
“Sancho has been at Chelsea, so I think with those players, it’s more about the manager wanting to move those on.
“Of course, that frees up some of the wage bill and it’ll free up some other headroom.
“There are financial incentives to that, but I do think this one with those players comes down to the manager wanting to shift those players on and bring in some new players to shake that squad up.”
Man United outcasts looking for new homes thanks to Amorim
Thanks to Amorim’s desire to revamp the Red Devils, several high-profile players are now looking for new homes.
Antony has been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen, who have recently appointed Erik ten Hag to replace the Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea have been linked with a move for Garnacho since January, but the Blues have their concerns about the player’s attitude, according to The Guardian.
As for Sancho, the picture is a little less clear after a fairly underwhelming spell in West London, but interest in the winger is likely to pick up the longer the window goes on, as more in-demand players get picked up.