When it comes to the art of selling players at the right time for the right price, Manchester United still have so much to learn.
News of Zidane Iqbal's impending move to FC Utrecht, thought to be for a fee in the region of £850,000, is another prime example of mismanagement when it comes to outgoings at Old Trafford. United are letting go of one of the hottest properties for literally nothing, so much so that no shortage of supporters picked up their phones and opened up their social media applications to vent their fury on Tuesday evening.
Had Iqbal been granted the loan spell he wanted back in January, it could have been so different for both the midfielder and the club. A loan may have increased his valuation and made United think twice about letting him go.
But based on how the club has operated when it has come to player sales in recent years, it is hardly surprising. United, time and time again, have got it wrong when it has come to cutting their cloth, either holding onto players for too long or handing out lengthy, lucrative contracts.
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The squad has become bloated and awash with players who have absolutely no futures under Erik ten Hag, who is attempting to mastermind the big clearout that the club has needed for so long. United have developed a habit for tying fringe players down to big contracts, making it almost impossible for them to be shifted when outside parties have registered interest in taking them off their hands.
That has resulted in the wage bill becoming enormous, as United are not proactive or successful when it comes to selling players at the right time. This summer, however, it has to be different.
Ten Hag wants to add fresh blood to several areas of his squad, but that will only be possible once United have cut their cloth and raised funds through player sales. On paper, of those most likely to depart between now and the 11pm deadline on September 1, Dean Henderson is the most sellable asset.
At the age of 26, the goalkeeper, who is wanted by Nottingham Forest after a loan spell at the City Ground in the 2022/23 campaign, is an attractive option for anyone. He is an England international and goalkeepers rarely hit their peak until they are north of 30. United should be able to command around £30million for him.
Harry Maguire, though his stock has dropped, is another player United ought to cash-in on this summer, though they will have to stomach a huge financial loss on the eye-watering £80million fee they deposited into Leicester City's bank account four years ago. United would never have dreamt of trying to offload the defender so soon after investing such a significant fee, but he has regressed year-on-year and they can no longer afford to carry him, particularly when he has fallen to fourth in the centre-back pecking order.
Fellow centre-back Eric Bailly and left-backs Alex Telles and Brandon Williams should also be moved on. Bailly, bizarrely, was given a new deal in April 2021, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2024, featuring the option of another year on top of that. United should have released him when they had the chance.
Telles spent this season on loan at Sevilla while Williams played just once for the Reds. The latter will be a cheap option for anyone on the hunt for a left-back.
Moving into midfield, United need to, ideally, cut their cloth before bringing in any fresh faces. Fred is out-of-contract next summer and it would make sense to get him off the books this summer and secure a respectable transfer fee, ahead of potentially losing him for nothing 12 months down the line. He could command a fee somewhere in the region of £20m-£25m.
Donny van de Beek is another player who needs offloading. A reunion with Ten Hag was meant to be the tonic he needed to get his United career up and running but those hopes have failed to come to fruition. The serious knee injury he suffered back in January, however, could make him hard to shift.
United have a luxury of options in the wide areas and unfortunately for Anthony Elanga he is at the bottom of the pecking order. United are understood to have reduced his asking price to £10m, meaning he could be a tempting buy for somebody. He has the potential to be a smart buy at the age of just 21.
United, as we all know, want and need a striker this summer. Anthony Martial's future, though, could dictate whether they need another. The Reds are open to selling him, but his injury record and recent goals return does not make him an overly attractive option.
Nevertheless, somebody, somewhere, will be willing to take a punt on him. United will have to accept another huge financial loss on their original investment, though.
