Manchester United have an all-important summer on the horizon. It marks Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first transfer period at the club – and after securing passage into the FA Cup final by a whisker against Coventry City, the British billionaire will no doubt be eager to make wholesale squad changes.

Such is the nature of his side’s tumultuous season, the future of Erik ten Hag also remains heavily in the balance. After enjoying a Carabao Cup-winning season in his first term at the helm, Manchester United have dwindled into mediocracy, scraping results with no obvious plan in place. Ratcliffe is keen to change that.

According to David McDonnell of The Mirror, the club’s boardroom bosses – Ratcliffe and his football operations team included – are planning to undergo a major overhaul once July hits. The report names 11 players who could be on the chopping block, and insists that as many as 12 could potentially be sold, all while six targets are perking the interest of the decision makers at Old Trafford.

The 11 Players United are Prepared to Sell

Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Antony among the names

In terms of Manchester United’s defensive line, it could be set for major change this summer – all four of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane are all at risk of being let go, according to the report.

Maguire – who has been one of the club’s in-form players of late, proving doubters wrong – was subject to interest from West Ham United in the summer, but Ten Hag and Co will be thanking their lucky stars that they kept hold of the Englishman. Varane’s top level expertise aside, the former Real Madrid ace has become ever so unreliable in terms of injury niggles, having played just 45% of available minutes in 2023/24.

For Wan-Bissaka and Lindelof, neither are first choice in their respective positions – and with the Manchester-based outfit looking to upgrade, they are likely to fall further down the pecking order in the summer. As such, their futures are up for debate.

An integral part of Ratcliffe and INEOS’ rebuild will be focused around their middle of the park woes – as it seemingly has been for years. The 2022/23 version of Casemiro is seemingly long gone and Christian Eriksen – another midfielder over the age of 30 – is not performing at the necessary level to become an Old Trafford regular.

Casemiro looks like a shadow of his former self and, although the club will recover just a fraction of the money they forked out for his services in the summer of 2022, his age and tired legs have become a worrying aspect of the club’s midfield structure this season, with teams easily bypassing the Brazilian.

And although Eriksen is reportedly frustrated with his lack of minutes, the fact that he is also an unreliable figure makes his summer exit look all too inevitable. Sofyan Amrabat, who was temporarily signed in a last-ditch attempt to fix the club’s midfield deficiencies, has undeniably been a failure, with the former Fiorentina man unable to keep up with the pace and intensity of England’s top division.

He'll return to Serie A in the summer and United will hope that another midfielder will come through the door. Brazilian winger Antony, too, has endured his fair share of difficulties coming to terms with the trials and tribulations of English football – and as a result, Manchester United are ready to cut their losses on their £86 million investment.

Then there’s Carrington graduate Marcus Rashford - regarded as one of the most disappointing players this campaign - who has failed to emulate the brilliance of his 2022/23 form, which saw him bag a career-best 30 goals across all competitions. The report states that – for the right price – one of the club’s most sellable assets will be let go.

On loan at former employers Borussia Dortmund, there may be no way back for winger Jadon Sancho. Years of pursuing the Englishman’s signature appear to have gone to waste as the Old Trafford exile, who refused to apologise to Ten Hag after a public bust-up,

There was so much promise attached to Anthony Martial when he arrived as a fresh-faced 19-year-old all those years ago – but the Frenchman has largely flattered to deceive. Now 28 and struggling to get a sniff of first-team football, this season could be his last in a Manchester United strip, which backs up the claims that his contract will not be extended at the end of the season and thus, he’ll be on the market for would-be buyers in the summer.

Ahead of an all-important summer, there are a host of names that are safe and secure in the Old Trafford dressing room, according to the report - for now as least. The club's spine which includes Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, skipper Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund will all stay put beyond the summer.

Defensive duo Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot plus Alejandro Garnacho also have futures at the club. As do Willy Kambwala and 2023 summer signing Mason Mount, although the former Chelsea ace is widely believed to be the club's worst signing of the season.

United Have Six Transfer Targets This Summer

Jarrad Branthwaite and Pedro Neto eyed

Should Erik ten Hag and Co see the back end of the aforementioned players – or at least a handful of them – a total of six replacements have already been lined up.

Viewed as the future of England centre-backs, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is among the names courted by Manchester United. The young Englishman has enjoyed a terrific season – a highlight being his goal in a 2-0 win over rivals Liverpool – and is bound to get his big-money move once the summer transfer window opens.

Another option in the heart of the back line could be 23/24 Bundesliga-winning Edmond Tapsoba, as well as his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong. The latter is from the Netherlands, which has been a feeding ground for Ten Hag since he arrived in the summer of 2022.

Dipping back into the Premier League market, the club are monitoring the situations of Wolverhampton Wanderers duo Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto. The midfield has long been a problem for the 13-time Premier League champions and the former, still just 23 years of age, could provide a robustness in the engine room next to the star of the season, Mainoo.

His Midlands teammate Neto, also on the radar of Liverpool, could alleviate Manchester United’s deficiencies on the flank. With 110 top tier outings to boot, the Portuguese talisman is widely considered to be one of the best wingers in the Premier League and would be a solid option out wide, especially given it has been a problem position at Old Trafford for years now.

If Neto’s signature is deemed to be too expensive, Manchester United could venture into the Bundesliga to snare Borussia Dortmund ace Donyell Malen. The 30-cap Netherlands international has played a bit-part role under Edin Terzic this season and there may be some sort of swap deal with the aforementioned Sancho that could happen to keep costs down. That said, Manchester United will face stern competition for his signature after Arsenal sent scouts to watch the Dutchman recently.