Alexis Sánchez could head a close‑season exodus from Manchester United of at least five players, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær targeting a new right-back and central defender.
The summer window will be Solskjær’s first as the permanent manager and he is willing to sell Sánchez, who has proved a failure since joining from Arsenal in January 2018 in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The Chilean’s lucrative salary, which with incentives can rise above £400,000 a week, may prove an obstacle to any potential transfer, though, with the forward’s contract running until 2022.
Those who may also depart include David de Gea, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian, with Antonio Valencia certain to leave after United opted not to renew his deal.
United do not want to lose De Gea but the club remain in deadlock with the goalkeeper over the terms of a new contract. His deal enters its final 12 months in July and there may arrive a point when United decide to allow his sale rather than risk him leaving for nothing next summer.
Herrera’s contract expires on 30 June and the midfielder is thought to be unhappy at United’s offer because it is not worth a far greater amount than some junior members of Solskjær’s squad earn. He is also surprised at how long negotiations have taken.
The 29-year-old is paid around £80,000 a week and is demanding a rise to £200,000 but United are offering closer to £120,000. Although Herrera has become a regular under Solskjær the view at Old Trafford is that he could become a squad player in the near future.
This indicates that United may also move for a top-class central midfielder to challenge Herrera and Nemanja Matic as a regular alongside Paul Pogba, whom Solskjær rates as key to mounting a credible title challenge next season.
Mata’s contract, like Herrera’s, expires in the summer and he may also be allowed to leave, while Darmian is almost certain to depart after nearly doing so last summer.
If United are to acquire a centre-back they could listen to offers for Rojo, who is contracted until 2021.
The club’s broad policy each summer window is to sign three players and allow three to leave, but given the higher number who may depart this year more than three could be incoming.
