United boss set for major squad cull in next few days.
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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is keen to keep trimming down his squad before the end of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Red Devils are seen as having carried a number of ‘passengers’ and under-achieving players in their team for some time now, and van Gaal is ready to wield the axe as he picks out as many as six players to leave Old Trafford as he looks to put his own stamp on the squad inherited from David Moyes.
United are also hoping to bring some new players in before the transfer deadline, but their new manager is also keen to rid himself of some of the deadwood in his squad, with negotiations already ongoing for a number of unwanted players to leave the club, either on loan deals or permanent transfers.
6) Wilfried Zaha
Having already completed a loan move to his old club Crystal Palace, Wilfried Zaha has long been on van Gaal’s list of players to clear out this summer, and the England international’s future at Old Trafford certainly looks bleak now after failing to make any impact at the club since arriving last summer. Zaha will need to impress now in a second spell with Palace, having also made little impression in a loan spell at Cardiff City last season.
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5) Tom Cleverley
In talks over a possible move to Aston Villa, Tom Cleverley is an unsurprising name on van Gaal’s list of unwanted players, with the England midfielder badly failing to live up to the hype seen in him during his days as a youngster. It is thought that talks are ongoing with Villa, with the player only wanting to move to the Midlands club on a loan deal, but with the Red Devils keen to push through a deal to sell him permanently.
4) Danny Welbeck
Wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, Danny Welbeck could be close to leaving United after spending his entire career so far with the club, aside from loan spells. It remains to be seen whether or not the England international will be loaned out again or leave permanently, but he currently hasn’t done enough to impress van Gaal and feature in his first-team plans for the 2014/15 season.
3) Javier Hernandez
Another striker who could be closing in on an exit from United is Mexican international Javier Hernandez, who is attracting interest from Juventus. The 26-year-old has not quite hit on after a strong first season with the club back in 2010/11, and now looks to be surplus to requirements after falling behind big names such as Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in the pecking order.
2) Shinji Kagawa
Said to be close to sealing a return to his old club Borussia Dortmund, Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa has failed to work his way into van Gaal’s plans for this season after an underwhelming two years at Old Trafford. Having previously looked an exciting player in his time in the Bundesliga, Kagawa has struggled for form in English football and now looks like heading for a quick exit from United.
1) Anderson
Although United are supposedly struggling to find buyers, they hope to offload Brazilian midfield flop Anderson in the next few days after his highly disappointing drop in form in the last couple of years. The 26-year-old was once a key player for the Red Devils when he arrived as a youngster, but his career has gone badly downhill since then and it is no surprise to see his name among those set for the axe this summer.
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