Cristiano Ronaldo among 15 Man United players who could leave this summer

The UK newspaper "Mirror" indicated that Cristiano Ronaldo will be one of 15 Manchester United players who may leave in the current transfer period. Even though Erik ten Hag has insisted that the 37-year-old is part of his plans for the new campaign, it is thought that the legendary forward's future at the club remains uncertain. Ronaldo, who has just 12 months remaining on his contract, is the only first-team player who has not traveled with the rest of the United squad on their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, due to a "family issue". The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is allegedly open to finding a new club this summer as he is desperate to continue playing in the Champions League. The Red Devils have already allowed eight players to leave Old Trafford this summer, including midfielder Paul Pogba who has re-joined Juventus on a free transfer following the expiration of his contact. Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, and Lee Grant have also seen their contracts expire, with the former linking up with Jose Mourinho at Roma. Andreas Pereira has completed a permanent switch to Fulham for around £10m, while Dean Henderson is another who has joined a newly-promoted club as he will spend the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Nottingham Forest. According to the Daily Mirror, United are looking to slim down their squad even further, with up to 15 players potentially heading for the exit door. The report claims that the Red Devils will listen to offers for defensive trio Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, and Phil Jones, with the former having lost his place as the club's first-choice right-back to Diogo Dalot. There are also a number of youngsters who United are prepared to either send out on loan or let go permanently this summer, as they are unlikely to feature regularly in Ten Hag's first-team squad next season. Alvaro Fernandez and Shola Shoretire are two highly-rated teenagers who were not included in United's squad for their pre-season tour, and both players are understood to have attracted loan interest from clubs in the Championship. Brandon Williams, Ethan Laird, Teden Mengi, Tahith Chong, Nathan Bishop, Will Fish, and Matej Kovar are also set to leave United this summer. While a mass exodus could be on the cards at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has signed three new players so far this summer in the form of Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez; the latter is yet to be officially confirmed although an agreement is in place between United and Ajax for the defender to join the Red Devils for around £46.8m plus £8.5m in add-ons.
United are also looking to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Ajax forward Antony, and the pair could set them back in excess of £120m this summer. The futures of Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri – who spent time on loan with Rangers and Alaves respectively the last term – also remain uncertain, with clubs in Serie A and the Primeira Liga allegedly eyeing a loan move for the latter.