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Manchester Evening News
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Steven Railston

The five out-of-contract Manchester United players including Paul Pogba that are set to leave

Paul Pogba is set to leave Manchester United on a free transfer for the second time this summer.

Pogba left United for Juventus in 2012 after failing to reach an agreement over a new contract - that move didn't please Sir Alex Ferguson - and history is repeating itself a decade later. Pogba has just months left on his current deal at Old Trafford and Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Real Madrid have unsurprisingly been linked with a move for the midfielder.

The Frenchman's second stint at the club is considered by most as underwhelming and a large section of the fan base won't mourn his departure, but who else could leave United on a free transfer this summer? The MEN have taken a closer look.

ALSO READ: What Manchester United's Donny van de Beek is thinking ahead of summer transfer window.

There are five players out-of-contract players including Pogba that are set to leave in what is bound to be a summer of change.

Juan Mata

Juan Mata signed a contract extension in the summer, but the Spaniard might have left United with the benefit of hindsight.

Mata has played just 180 minutes this season and the MEN revealed he was considering his future in September. This campaign was always destined to be Mata's last at Old Trafford and he was open to an early departure in January.

United signed Mata from Chelsea for a then-club record £37m in 2014 and he'll leave having been a brilliant servant.

Paul Pogba

While there is no denying that Pogba is world-class on his day, those days in a United shirt have been few and far between.

The 29-year-old has produced multiple glimpses of brilliance across his second stint at the club, however, he's failed to develop into the player that United thought they were bringing 'home' — he's been largely inconsistent and he's also struggled with injuries.

Pogba has won just two trophies at United and supporters might not remember him with great fondness.

Edinson Cavani

Edinson Cavani has been unavailable through injury for over 50 per cent of Manchester United's fixtures this season.

Cavani signed for United on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2020 and there were doubts over his ability to still operate at an elite level. Cavani has emphatically quashed such accusations, but his injury record has been disappointing.

The player was understood to be keen on a return to South America before extending his United contract, but reports have also suggested Cavani has attracted interest from La Liga in Spain, though his injury record might worry any potential suitor.

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani. (James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images.)

Lee Grant

Lee Grant, 39, signed a one-year contract extension last summer under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Grant has made just two appearances for the Reds' first team, but he's helped push David de Gea and Dean Henderson in training sessions at Carrington across his time at the club. Grant is understood to have been a positive influence at United.

It's highly unlikely he'll receive a late contract extension to remain in the playing squad.

Jesse Lingard

United blocked Lingard's proposed loan move to Newcastle in January and that was the last chance to receive a fee for the player.

Lingard wanted to stay and fight his first place at United at the start season after a sensational loan spell at West Ham - Lingard scored nine goals across his first 10 games after that switch - but he's played under 400 minutes in total.

The playmaker wants regular game time and he'll finally get that away from United.

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