Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has made his prediction on two players that will leave the club in the summer. Those stars are Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
The two players haven't had the easiest of seasons, although no United player has. However, Scholes believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe might look to make the most of the opportunity to sell these two for a profit.
Assessing Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho was linked to several clubs during the January transfer window, but no deals went through before the deadline. The young winger has struggled this season, which is no great surprise as Manchester United has had one of their worst seasons ever.
Garnacho has always been a bright player for the club, but as Ruben Amorim looks to fund transfers for incoming players ahead of his first full season in Manchester, he might want to cash in on Garnacho while he is young and fit.
The Argentine winger fell out of favor with Amorim at the beginning of his reign but has since come back into the starting lineup. He has scored four goals in the Premier League and assisted just one goal. In all competitions, he has scored nine goals and assisted on seven goals.
Garnacho has been at Manchester United since 2020, when he joined the youth system from Atletico Madrid. While he has been a key player in the best, he might be better off joining a club that will guarantee him playing time. Amorim uses a 3-4-2-1 system, which Garnacho is not used to playing in. Amorim is looking to bring in players that he knows will fit into his preferred system, such as Viktor Gyökeres and Victor Osimhen
If Amorim wants to bring in these high-caliber players, he'll need to sell some of his quality players to fund these transfers. United are in desperate financial shape and also don't want to violate any Financial Fair Play rules. Chelsea and Napoli showed their interest in January and might look to get the winger in the summer.
Is Kobbie Mainoo set for a transfer out?
Kobbie Mainoo has been sidelined since early February with an injury but has recently returned to training with the squad. Like Garnacho, Mainoo has found life at Manchester United more difficult this season, after enjoying a highly successful 2023/24 campaign.
The English youngster got his first senior appearance with United in the 2022/23 Premier League season. He continued to improve his game and stepped up big in midfield during the next season under Erik ten Hag. Mainoo scored three goals and assisted one last season but was considered one of the most important players to the team.
The 19-year-old has a contract that runs until 2027, but Amorim may want to sell him early as there is interest in the midfielder. There have been discussions on a new contract, although nothing has been produced yet. Mainoo will likely be wanting a good deal of money as he sees himself as a vital asset to the Manchester United midfield.
With other midfielders, such as Christian Erikson and Casemiro, most likely leaving the club, Mainoo also might find himself on the market. There is a reported €50m price tag on his head, with Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Inter Milan all monitoring his situation.
Mainoo might be in contention to play against Lyon in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals coming up on the 10th of April. While he may reach the bench, there is no telling whether Amorim will want to risk his fitness in this match. If Mainoo wants to stay with the club, he'll be doing everything he can to prove his worth.