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Manchester United’s Europa League final jinx continued, as Tottenham Hotspur beat them 0-1 at the San Mames stadium on Wednesday.
Ruben Amorim’s selection on the night played a major role in United’s defeat, with the head coach opting to start Rasmus Hojlund in the biggest game of the season despite the Dane being one of the poorest performers throughout the season.
The 22-year-old was invisible for 71 minutes before he was hooked, while Alejandro Garnacho, the team’s most direct attacking threat, only got 19 minutes.
The decision to start Luke Shaw at the back, despite the presence of Ayden Heaven and Victor Lindelof on the bench was another bizarre call and it showed with the Englishman struggling throughout the contest.
Questionable selection calls
And after the disappointment of Wednesday, Amorim has decided to take a few drastic transfer calls as per Givemesport, with Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund to be sold.
They will be joined by Andre Onana, another star who is not good enough for the club. The Red Devils have been trying to shift him to Saudi Arabia, hoping to persuade Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa to join them.
The surprising name mentioned in the report that the Portuguese tactician wants gone in the summer along with the aforementioned trio is that of Casemiro.
The Brazilian’s resurgence had been lauded by Amorim and the 33-year-old had said in the build-up that this was one of his most successful seasons.
But it seems Amorim will now be ruthless, as he seeks to save his own job and try and revive the 20-time English league champions next season.
The former Real Madrid superstar struggled to impose himself against Spurs, and had one of his weakest outings in Europe this season in Bilbao.
“Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has decided that he is ready to sanction the Old Trafford departures of Casemiro, Andre Onana, Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund in the aftermath of missing out on clinching silverware and a return to the Champions League, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Casemiro to be also sold
“The quartet are on contracts which allow them to pocket a combined total of £935,000-per-week when all bonuses are triggered, meaning that getting them off the books will alleviate some of the pressure on the Red Devils’ wage bill as they make preparations for the 2025/26 campaign.
“Manchester United have refused to rule out the possibility of sending Hojlund out on loan if they cannot find a buyer, GMS sources have learned, while there is an awareness that Casemiro and Shaw will be difficult to move on due to their lucrative pay packages at Old Trafford.”
Hojlund is not expected to fetch anywhere close to the initial £64 million United paid for him, and a loan exit looks likely. Both Shaw and Casemiro’s wages could prove to be stumbling blocks.
With the pay-off qualifying for the Champions League brings now off the table, INEOS will likely depend on player sales and not many players are expected to be safe from the summer cull.
Feature image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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