Five stars may never play for Man Utd again with £150m transfer overhaul | Football | Sport

Manchester United are staring down the barrel of a pivotal summer at the club. From confirming their next full-time manager to the club’s transfer business, it’s set to be a hectic, but also crucial, month or two.

But with contracts set to rise by 25 per cent on the back of reaching the Champions League, the United hierarchy have some difficult decisions to make. Express Sport have picked out some players who might be in their final few weeks as a United player.

A nice and easy one to start off with, given Casemiro’s exit from United has already been confirmed. The midfielder is set to leave at the end of the season, despite the best efforts of some United fans to get him to stay.

Tom Heaton’s current stint at United started in 2021 and he’s been floating around as one of their back-up goalkeepers ever since. His current deal is set to expire next month, but he could still be handed a renewal.

Remember him? Tyrell Malacia last featured for United in March when he came off the bench for a six-minute cameo against Newcastle. He has one year left on his deal at Old Trafford, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him moved on sooner.

Having arrived from Paris Saint-Germain amid plenty of promise, things just haven’t worked out for Manuel Ugarte. He hasn’t been fancied by Michael Carrick, and while Casemiro’s exit should open up more minutes in his position, United are believed to be targeting several midfielders in the summer.

Speaking of players who made an immediate impression, but didn’t live up to the hype, Joshua Zirkzee’s debut goal against Fulham on the opening day of the 2024/25 season feels a long time ago now. He’s been linked with a return to Serie A, which is where the Dutchman impressed with Bologna, and it wouldn’t come as much shock at all to see Zirkzee among the potential five players leaving United in the summer.