Chris Sutton has selected the player he thinks Manchester United should sell to raise funds, telling It’s All Kicking Off that the summer signing does not have what it takes to become a ‘great’ at the club.
The Red Devils swapped under-pressure Erik ten Hag for Portuguese boss Ruben Amorim in November with the club slumped in 14th in the Premier League.
The former Sporting Lisbon coach has had a mixed start to his stint in charge, suffering losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest but enjoying two victories in the Europa League, most recently against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday.
United look set for an overhaul as Amorim aims to put his stamp on the club, with a host of comings and goings expected in the January transfer window and beyond.
Indeed, Mail Sport reported this week that the Red Devils are under pressure to shift players to comply with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
When asked by co-host Ian Ladyman who United should sell to free up some cash, Sutton told the podcast: ‘You could sell any of them couldn’t you? I could say someone in their 30s like Casemiro, who I don’t think has a future there, but I don’t think they would get anything for him. Not a lot.
Chris Sutton has chosen Joshua Zirkzee as a potential name to be sold by Man United
The It’s All Kicking Off host said the signing did not have what it takes to become a ‘great’
United might have to sell some stars if they are to comply with Profit & Sustainability Rules
‘I don’t know how much money they have to make and I may be wrong with this, but someone like [Joshua] Zirkzee.
‘Are you convinced that he’ll be a Manchester United great further down the line?
‘Hojlund hasn’t been prolific but I still feel there’s something there.
‘I’m not writing Zirkzee off. You’ve asked me who I would sell, I would sell him. I think he would create a fair few quid.’
It also emerged this week that United would consider offers of £40milllion for Marcus Rashford but Sutton suggested that he has more to offer the club.
‘Rashford’s one,’ he said. ‘You always feel with Marcus Rashford there is something there when he can be committed, when he can be really bothered. He’s the name everyone is saying but I didn’t want to go obvious.
‘He’s versatile isn’t he.’
Shifting homegrown players counts as 100 per cent profit on the PSR balance sheet, and for some time now the spotlight has fallen on Rashford who has been at the club since the age of seven.
Sutton also weighed in on the Rashford debate, hinting that he has more to give to United
United face a rush to sell players if they are to provide new boss Ruben Amorim with funds
United are keen to avoid selling Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo – their crown jewels
It’s understood the 27-year-old’s asking price would have been as much as £100m when he scored 30 goals in Ten Hag’s first season at United. But Rashford’s loss of form and the contract he signed last year worth a prohibitive £325,000-a-week means that his value has more than halved.
Even then, United are not anticipating any offers for Rashford who has started the last two games on the bench before his start in the Europa League clash with Viktoria Plzen.
Another option would be for the Red Devils to sell either of their two crown jewels -Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho – but that is something the club want to avoid.
Leny Yoro, bought for £59m from Lille in the summer as a star of the future, is another seen as virtually untouchable at Old Trafford, as is Fernandes.
Otherwise, United would entertain offers for most of their squad at the right price. ‘The reality is that everyone is for sale,’ an insider said on Wednesday night.
United are keen to keep hold of a number of players who have flourished under Amorim such as Amad Diallo, Matthijs de Ligt, Bruno Fernandes, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte.
The club are struggling to comply with PSR rules after posting losses of £300m over the last three years. After spending another £200m on transfers in the summer, they did not budget on having to pay out an additional £21.4m to replace Ten Hag with Amorim.
