Manchester United: Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane & Casemiro For Sale?

Is Manchester United open to the sales of Jadon Sancho, Casemiro, and Raphael Varane? All three players have come under criticism this season from fans and both Sancho and Varane have also fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag at different stages during the campaign.

There have been reports today suggesting that all three players are available for transfer in the January Transfer Window. Here’s the state of play from our point of view, with the information that has been afforded to us regarding the situation.

Jadon Sancho:

Jadon Sancho has not played a game for Manchester United since their 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest on the 26th of August. Erik ten Hag did not name Sancho in the squad to face Arsenal the following week due to performances in training. That led to a social media outburst from Sancho, which resulted in the former Borussia Dortmund winger being banned from training with the first-team squad. The situation has not gotten any better since then. Sancho continues to refuse to apologize to Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff.

We understand Sancho is not currently open to a move to Saudi Arabia, which remains the only way Manchester United could get his full wages covered. There is interest from various clubs in Europe, with Dortmund and Juventus being two of those clubs, but they are not currently willing to cover the winger’s full wage. Manchester United are being asked to cover at least half, and that means it remains tough to off-load Sancho at present despite the desire to do so. United will continue to assess their options in the coming weeks.

Raphael Varane:

Raphael Varane has fallen out of favor under Erik ten Hag, who has continued to play the in-form Harry Maguire ahead of him. Maguire has risen to the form that made Manchester United sign him for £80m from Leicester in 2019, and there is currently no way back into the team at right center-back for the Frenchman Varane. Erik ten Hag has also preferred to play Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof ahead of Varane at left-center-back.

We understand that while Varane was initially professional after being dropped by Erik ten Hag, that situation has now changed. The relationship between the manager and the player is now broken. There is currently no way back for Varane under Erik ten Hag. The feeling is if the Manchester United manager was to be sacked, the situation would change. Varane’s agent is looking for opportunities in the January transfer window for his client.

Casemiro:

Casemiro is currently injured and not available for selection due to that. There have always been question marks as to whether the Brazilian was an Erik ten Hag signing considering his age and profile, but at present, we understand out of the three players Casemiro is the least likely to leave the club in the January transfer window. We understand there is no fallout between Erik ten Hag and Casemiro, despite some reports suggesting otherwise.

Casemiro was a large part of United’s structure and performances last season and the feeling is he is ready to help the cause upon his return from injury. United would however consider a sale if a huge offer came in from a Saudi club that allows them to recoup some of the £70m they spent on the 31-year-old Brazilian last season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPSi-0wk7zA

No 50% Fall Out:

There is some discontent behind the scenes at Manchester United with some players unhappy with their situations, but we understand there is no such thing as a “50% fallout”, which was suggested in the media this week. The players have not turned on Erik ten Hag, and there remains a large portion of the dressing room standing by the manager and working to improve the situation.

Scott McTominay praised Erik ten Hag for his approach to the game against Chelsea last night in his post-match interview, detailing how some small tweaks in training allowed the team to be much more energetic when it came to game time.

“To be honest with you, the manager. The way he approached this game. A lot of light training sessions, to keep us fresh.”
Scott McTominay on what helped United against Chelsea.

It doesn’t exactly strike as a team who aren’t playing for their manager. The performance also showed no signs of that either. United ran and ran all game, and looked United in their pursuit of an important win against a tough side to beat for top six sides this season.

As always at big clubs there are bound to be players behind the scenes that are unhappy they’re not playing. Unfortunately at Manchester United these situations get amplified and blown up to something they don’t need to be. There is a mixture of solidarity and discontent behind the scenes for sure, but no 50% fallout with players openly not playing for Erik ten Hag. That’s far from the case and it’s unfair to suggest otherwise.

January Signings Unlikely:

Erik ten Hag also does not expect any signings in January which may make the situation that bit more difficult. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now unlikely to be in minority power at Manchester United until after January, which makes it difficult for the club to do any business in the meantime. United have a clear target in the shape of Jean-Clair Todibo to replace Raphael Varane, but move will likely have to wait. A loan deal could be worked out due to Ratcliffe’s ownership in OGC Nice, but that is also unlikely at this moment in time.

United have played without Sancho for much of the season and are likely to be open to losing him without a replacement. Raphael Varane’s situation could be different due to the lack of cover at center-back, but if the club gets a decent fee it means they could use that money to sign a replacement. Todibo is expected to be available for around £35-40m.

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