Manchester United will leave their ‘bomb squad’ behind when they go on tour to the US in another show of support for head coach Ruben Amorim.
Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia will continue to work at the club’s Carrington training complex when Amorim and his squad fly to Chicago on Tuesday. The fifth outcast, Marcus Rashford, has already left camp and travelled to Barcelona to complete his loan move to the Nou Camp for the rest of the season.
All five unwanted stars have been made to train away from the rest of the squad since pre-season began a fortnight ago, with United hoping to offload them before the transfer window closes at the start of September.
In the past, United have taken players on tour who were unlikely to stay at the club much longer – not least when Jadon Sancho played in the US last summer despite a fall-out with Erik ten Hag before joining Chelsea on loan on deadline day.
But Amorim has decided they are not part of his plans and United have backed the Portuguese boss by deciding to leave them in Manchester, while pushing through nearly £135million-worth of business to sign Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo before going on tour.
However, by making it so clear that they are surplus to requirements, United are set to take a substantial hit on a group of players who were valued at close to £350m at their peak.
Man United have shown support for Ruben Amorim by leaving their ‘bomb squad’ at home
Marcus Rashford has already travelled to Barcelona to complete his loan move to the club
Man United are set to take a substantial hit on a group of five players, including Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho, who once held a combined value of around £350m
Rashford’s price rocketed to beyond £100m but he will be allowed to join Barcelona on a permanent basis for between £30-40m next summer if his loan at the Nou Camp is a success. The 27-year-old is understood to have taken a 15 per cent wage-cut to help the deal go through with Barca agreeing to pay all of his wages.
Garnacho was valued at around £70m when Napoli made an approach for him in January, but United would consider offers of around £40m for the Argentina winger after Amorim told him to find a new club this summer. Garnacho wants to stay in the Premier League and there is interest from Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa.
Antony is the second most expensive player in United’s history following his £86m move from Ajax three years ago, but would fetch less than half that now with the Old Trafford hierarchy likely to consider offers under £40m.
The Brazil winger impressed on loan at Real Betis last season but the Spaniards are reluctant to pay above £25m or £50,000-a-week towards his wages so another loan spell in Seville is a possibility.
Sancho cost £73m from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, but now United are struggling to offload him for a fraction of that price after Chelsea paid a £5m penalty rather than turn his loan into a permanent £25m transfer.
With the player now in the final 11 months of his contract, and his £275,000-a-week wages a significant stumbling block, United may struggle to sell Sancho and would consider another loan amid interest from Juventus.
Another loan spell is a possibility for Antony while Tyrell Malacia is also available
There has been interest from Serie A in Rasmus Hojlund but nothing has advanced at this stage
Malacia, who cost £14.7m from Feyenoord when he became the first signing of the Erik ten Hag era, is also available after returning from a loan spell at PSV Eindhoven.
After signing Cunha and Mbeumo, United hope to bring in a striker next but face a separate problem with Rasmus Hojlund.
The Dane cost £72m from Atalanta two years ago but is worth roughly half that now.
Although Inter Milan and Napoli have expressed an interest in taking Hojlund back to Serie A on loan this season, nothing has advanced at this stage.
United will be based in Chicago for much of their stay in the US and play Bournemouth there, sandwiched in between games against West Ham in New Jersey and Everton in Atalanta.
