Some of Manchester United players are on international duty during the coming week, which is the final international break of this year. This means that following the matches that will occur in the next seven days, we are getting into the toughest part of the campaign, with non-stop matches lasting until the second half of March 2024. But before that happens, this short break will come good to Erik Ten Hag and his staff, as they will get the chance to work with the remainder of the squad ahead of the matches against Everton, Galatasaray and Newcastle, which are all coming in the span of a week.
Antony And Van De Beek Feature Behind Closed Doors
But the fact that there is not Premier League action does not mean there are no matches for Manchester United. Man United played a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Hull City on Tuesday, which featured the players that did not get much playing time in the recent weeks. Among the players were two of United’s pricey signatures – Antony and Donny van de Beek. While Brazil and the Netherlands are preparing for the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and EURO 2024 respectively, the two players are far from getting even enough playing time at their club, let alone featuring for the national team.
Antony, who arrived in a huge 82 million pounds deal, had to accept getting benched in the last two matches United played, with Ten Hag opting for Alejandro Garnacho. Van de Beek, on the other hand, has been so far from the first team for so long that many could be forgiven for forgetting that he is still at the club. He played for mere 21 minutes this season across two appearances and the 26-year-old is expected to soon leave the club, if United manage to find him suitors. Antony’s and Van de Beek’s involvement in the match against Hull just further highlighted how often United have spent a lot of money on players they were unable to get the best out of in recent years.
Man United In Tough Spot With Sancho
According to the ESPN, Manchester United are conscious of how other clubs could try to take advantage of them in any potential deals for Jadon Sancho in the upcoming January transfer window. The 23-year-old winger looks like a certain move out of the club in early 2024, following his row with Ten Hag which does not seem like getting resolved at any time.
But this situation makes it hard for United to offload a player they invested so heavily in, with such big wages. Other clubs, and as potential suitors Juventus were mentioned recently, will want to get the most out of that situation. Whoever comes calling for Sancho will know that the player is desperate to leave the club and that United will be desperate to get him off the books. But getting enough money in terms of a transfer fee sounds like a mission impossible, especially as only Saudi Arabian clubs could go that high. The likes of Juventus, or even Borussia Dortmund, Sancho’s former club, will be constrained financially and will want to put United in a situation where they have to settle for a big loss on the player they expected so much from.
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