Manchester United report: SIX players set to leave, as Ralf Rangnick axes underperforming stars
Manchester United are ringing the changes, with half a team's worth of players set to depart very soon
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick is set to let six of his new squad leave in a mass exodus, according to reports.
Rangnick has only been in charge since Monday - and sat in the stands for the 3-2 victory over Arsenal - but has already decided on half a dozen of his stars that he's willing to sell, including big name figures on the sidelines.
Edinson Cavani will lead the mass-exit, with the Uruguayan said to be fed up of playing second-fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo. Cavani has started just once in the Premier League since CR7 re-joined the club - a 3-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur - and there's said to be interest from Barcelona in his services.
Cavani's contract is up in the summer either way and may wait until the end of the season to depart.
French duo Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba have widely been expected to depart, too - and it looks like Rangnick will swing the scythe for both. Martial has been a periphery figure in the Red Devils' side ever since the emergence of Mason Greenwood, while Pogba's contract stalemate could well be resolved with Rangnick letting him go. There are takers for both players, with Pogba available on a free in the summer.
Jesse Lingard is frustrated with his lack of action at Old Trafford this season after being promised a bigger role in the side by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, following his star turn on loan at West Ham United; Donny van de Beek also turned down offers in the summer to fight for his place in the midfield.
Both stars could leave as soon as January. While Lingard's contract expires in the summer, he could be sold on the cheap this winter, with van de Beek attracting a number of clubs both in the Premier League and abroad.
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Finally, Diogo Dalot is also up for the chop.
The Portuguese full-back seemed to have a torrid time up against the likes of Gabriel Martinelli in the Arsenal win - and given how little he's pushed Aaron Wan-Bissaka for a starting spot, he could well be sacrificed.
United could be set to spend as much as £100m this January as Rangnick looks to improve his team.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.