Manchester United is already falling apart in the second season of Erik ten Hag era. The English club is bottom of their UCL group after three defeats in four matches. In order to shift the landscape, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning to clear the deadwood from the forward line.
Ratcliffe is poised to complete his 25% takeover at the English club ahead of the winter transfer window. As part of the buy-in, Ratcliffe will take over the daily operation of the Manchester club in order to shift the momentum. As part of the course correction, the British billionaire is planning to sell three forwards from Manchester United.
The Sun reported that Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial will be on the chopping board in the January window. These sales will followed up by a major overhaul in the player scouting and acquisition network in order to improve the squad quality in the coming years.
Antony is yet to make a goal contribution in his 11 appearances in all competitions. Anthony Martial on the other hand only has one goal and one assist in 14 appearances this season. He has made nine appearances in the Premier League and is yet to score in 232 minutes of action.
🚨 Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial are in line to be sold in January by Manchester United.
(Source: @kenlawrence__) pic.twitter.com/lPf8ylkkYD
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 10, 2023
The case of Jadon Sancho is well-documented. The English winger has been outcasted since his public spat with Erik ten Hag. Manchester United will offload the winger in the upcoming window to cut their losses. The news about the clear-out drew mixed reviews from online fans. Some were excited about the vision, while others argued about the quality of the trio.
Comments like “Selling their 3 best attackers yeh United are finished,” “Man united destroyed their careers and now letting them go,” “Very sad for us. Antony is a genius. So is Sancho. They hypnotise opponents by their dribbling,” and “Selling the mids,” echoed the sentiments of the fans.
Manchester United’s forward line was already under pressure since the summer, as they finished with only 58 goals in the 2022/23 season. The goal tally was the lowest among the top six teams in the Premier League last season. The story is similar this season, with the majority of the goals in the league coming from the midfield positions.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe demands answers regarding the transfer business of Manchester United
Apart from the overall transfer activity at United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe also demands answers from the current management of the club regarding the poor transfer record since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Since the exit of Ferguson, United have spent around $1.7 billion on transfers.
During this time period, there have been numerous flops such as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Ángel Di María, Donny van de Beek, and Anthony Martial. These high-value signings have failed to deliver on their transfer fee adding pressure on the current management.
🚨 Manchester United currently have no plans to replace manager Erik ten Hag despite the club’s poor start to the season.
(Source: Sky Sports) pic.twitter.com/uKym4h7pYs
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 10, 2023
In Erik ten Hag’s tenure alone, Manchester United have spent $457 million in initial fees without a vast improvement in the club’s trajectory. The high transfer spent, numerous flops, and no league title since 2013 are a cause of concern for Ratcliffe.
The answers from the current management will be pivotal for Ratcliffe. The Billionaire has to decide which key personnel he needs to replace to change the trajectory of one of the biggest clubs in the world. The upcoming transfer window will be the first step in the era of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.