Man United to shed £33m from wage bill as Casemiro, Sancho and Malacia depart

Manchester United will trim at least £33 million a year from their wage bill this summer by releasing Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia — a combined saving of around £640,000 per week as the club embarks on a significant squad overhaul.

Casemiro joined from Real Madrid in 2022 on a substantial salary following a difficult start to Erik ten Hag’s tenure, and his time at Old Trafford is largely regarded as a positive chapter. His departure, however, leaves United needing to recruit at least two new central midfielders to fill the void.

Malacia arrived in the same summer window and showed early promise before injuries effectively ended his Old Trafford career. Sancho’s exit will be less fondly remembered — the winger has struggled to justify his 2021 move from Borussia Dortmund and spent this season on loan at Aston Villa, where he failed to nail down a regular starting place under Unai Emery.

The scale of United’s wage savings could yet be complicated by the situation surrounding Marcus Rashford. The club are understood to have no plans to reintegrate the winger into their first-team squad next season under Michael Carrick. Rashford has had a productive loan spell at Barcelona, contributing 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions — form that earned him a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Barcelona hold a £26 million purchase option in their loan agreement, with a deadline of 15 June to trigger it. However, reports from Spain suggest the Catalan club are reluctant to pay the agreed fee and may seek to renegotiate. Barcelona have also been linked with other left-wing targets, casting further doubt over whether Rashford will make the move permanent.

Among those alternatives is Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon, with the Press Association reporting that Barcelona have registered interest in the England international. Gordon has operated primarily as a striker under Eddie Howe this season but built his reputation as a winger. Spanish forward Victor Munoz of Osasuna has also emerged as a potential option; the 2024-25 La Liga breakout has a release clause of €40 million — considerably more than the £26 million it would cost Barcelona to activate their Rashford option.