Transfer Talk: United prepare for five departures as De Ligt eyes Barca

Five Manchester United stars are set to leave as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prepares to wield the axe.

The under-fire boss promised changes after last Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to Leicester — and that could mean January departures.

Flop Donny van de Beek headlines the list of players who will be shepherded out the exit door — but he is far from the only big name United may sell.

France forward Anthony Martial and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof are both first-team regulars deemed not good enough, according to The Sun.

Martial, 25, missed the clash at the King Power Stadium but finds himself down the pecking order after United’s summer business.

Lindelof, meanwhile, has been inconsistent since his £30million move from Benfica in 2017 and is now third choice if both Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane are fit.

Long-serving pair Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones could also be set to depart. 

Lingard’s deal runs out in the summer and with no indication he will sign a new one, clubs are already circling for his signature.

Jones, 29, has had rotten luck with injuries and looks surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. 

He has two years remaining on his contract but United would be keen to try and offload his salary.

What is clear is that Solskjaer’s patience is running out after an indifferent start to the season.

De Ligt wants Barca move

Matthijs de Ligt wants to swap Juventus for Barcelona just two years after choosing Italy over Spain.

According to Sport, De Ligt regrets picking Juve and is ready to right the wrongs of 2019.

The Dutch centre-back is reportedly unhappy in Turin and the return of Max Allegri has not gone down well with him.

But Barca remain dogged with financial issues and whether they can afford the 22-year-old defender is another question entirely.

A £126m release clause comes into play in the summer of 2022 — but clubs are unlikely to pay that in the current climate.

The suggestion is Juve would be happy to recoup the £71m they paid Ajax in 2019 if De Ligt is to be sold.

His potential availability will pique the interest of clubs across Europe.

In other news

Goal believe Chelsea are prepared to make Mason Mount one of the club’s top earners when they enter talks over a new contract.

Reports in Germany suggest Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund target Karim Adeyemi has been valued at £30m by Salzburg.

Aston Villa and AC Milan are set to battle it out to sign highly-rated River Plate forward Julian Alvarez, claim Calciomercato.