Manchester United’s summer transfer window has been a slow burn up until this point.
A combination of factors has led to this. First of all, we had the saga surrounding the future of Erik ten Hag as manager which would ultimately preoccupy the entirety of Ineos for the first few weeks post-season.
Now a decision has been made in that regard, progress on business has been hindered due to the major international tournaments this summer. Both Euro 2024 and Copa America have seen not only United targets but also squad members preoccupied meaning domestic transfers have been pushed to the backburner.
However, a sure-fire marker as to who may be staying and leaving can be found when the club releases its new shirt for the forthcoming season. Logic dictates that United would not choose any player to model the shirt who is likely to be departing the club in the near future.
Unsurprisingly, the new advertising campaign saw the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford featured heavily. Both men have been tentatively linked with the exit door in recent weeks however the duo, worth £60m and £51m according to transfermarkt respectively, seem integral to Ten Hag’s project and the hefty price tag United would need to receive for them to be sold is unlikely to be reached.
However, there are three players who also feature in the shirt release who have less than certain futures. Firstly, there is Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
The 32-year-old ended the season as one of the biggest underachievers with a mixture of injuries and complacent performances hindering him. Saudi Pro League clubs are thought to be sniffing around the central player, who is thought to be worth just £17m, and United could look to sell too considering Ten Hag has identified a midfielder for this summer.
Next up is Scott McTominay. MEN Sport reported last week that the Scotland international would enter into contract talks with United once the summer window has passed.
The Reds rejected a £30m bid from West Ham last summer for McTominay and his involvement in the shirt release suggests that the new contract looks likely to be agreed at some stage soon. Finally, Aaron Wan-Bissaka also featured in the kit launch.
The right-back looked dead set to leave United when Ten Hag first arrived but last season he became influential considering the injury woes at left-back. That being said, he is still being heavily linked to the exit door considering Diogo Dalot is first choice in his position and he has a transfer value of £17m.
Wan-Bissaka’s future may not extend beyond the expiry of his contract in 2025 but it looks like the Reds are not planning for him to depart this summer.