Man United's midfield is being trimmed ahead of the start of pre-season training later this month.
Juan Mata (left) and Paul Pogba (right) have both agreed to quit Manchester United this summer.
Manchester United have said farewell to three senior midfielders in less than 24 hours after revealing on Thursday morning that Juan Mata will depart the club when his contract ends at the end of this month.
They stated on Wednesday that when their present contracts expire on June 30, both Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard would no longer be registered employees of the club. The departures of the aforementioned trio had long been expected, but confirmation of their departures has made it plain that United has begun their summer rebuilding process.
United will need to make big changes to their first-team squad this summer, and the exits of Pogba, Lingard, and Mata will be considered as the necessary first steps. They'd all reached the end of their Old Trafford careers, and now United must move forward.
Their departures are all the more significant because they come from an area of the team that is in desperate need of maintenance this summer. United are in desperate need of a new defensive midfielder as well as a box-to-box player. Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona continues to draw a lot of attention.
With the departure of Nemanja Matic, United have reduced their midfield squad from this season by four players before the transfer window has even opened. However, with Andreas Pereira, Donny van de Beek, and James Garner returning from loan spells at Flamengo, Everton, and Nottingham Forest, they have only cut it by one. The futures of each player are now in the spotlight, and it remains to be seen what will happen.
Many fans want to see Garner given a chance to prove himself in the first squad, feeling that he should be a regular starter, while others hope that Ten Hag's prior Ajax relationship with Van de Beek would allow him to stake another claim. After two dismal seasons in England, he'll be desperate to make an impact next season. Pereira, on the other hand, is likely to be replaced.
In addition to Van de Beek and Garner vying for a spot in Ten Hag's plans, the Dutchman will also have Scott McTominay, Hannibal Mejbri, Bruno Fernandes, and Fred to choose from if he opts for a midfield trio.
The task of keeping all seven of them happy — especially since United wants to acquire at least one new midfielder — already appears difficult, and it will put the former Ajax manager's man-management talents to the test.
This season, James Garner impressed while on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Naturally, once pre-season training begins on June 27, Ten Hag will want to assess every member of his team, but decisions will have to be made fast so that everyone is clear on who will be engaged in his plans moving ahead.
With Fernandes acting as architect-in-chief just ahead of them, United know they need to upgrade McTominay and Fred at the base of midfield with at least one new signing. Does Ten Hag see Van de Beek as the man for the job?
It's a difficult question to answer right now, possibly even for Ten Hag himself. However, despite the fact that United have already begun to cut the team by releasing Matic, Pogba, Lingard, and Mata, they are in danger of remaining bloated in midfield unless more departures are made.
Pereira, of the seven aforementioned midfielders who remain on United's books for the time being, is the most likely to leave — though it is unclear whether he will join Flamengo on a permanent basis. Garner, too, might leave Old Trafford, albeit on loan, but Ten Hag may have bigger ambitions for him, especially given his track record in managing the development of intriguing young players.
However, with at least one new player anticipated to arrive at Old Trafford, United's midfield revolution cannot be completed with Mata's departure. They need to keep going, at the very least dumping two more.
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