Manchester United have some obvious sales to make in January - and some not so obvious ones
The January sales are almost here, and at Old Trafford, everything is available. Discounts vary from item to item, but a good offer could land you pretty much any Manchester United player you want.
This club needs to sell to buy but desperately needs to buy to start filling round holes with round pegs for Ruben Amorim. Unfortunately for United, none of their players have been putting themselves in the shop window of late.
The word from the club is that there is "no money" in January. A couple of loans might be achievable, but if there is to be any serious strengthening of a squad that is beginning to flirt with a relegation battle, then sales will be required. United need a market to develop for some players.
READ MORE: Goalscorer, wing back, Rashford replacement - what Manchester United need in January transfer window
Some are obvious sales, which is part of the problem. Marcus Rashford was back in the squad against Newcastle but not back on the pitch when his team was chasing the game. An exit next month would suit all parties, and as an academy player, United would be banking pure profit. The issue will be Rashford's £325,000-a-week wages.
Then there is Joshua Zirkzee, who hasn't looked up to the task so far and endured the unfair humiliation of being booed off by his own supporters on Monday. There might still be some interest in him back in Italy, but it might be a loan rather than a sale, and United have yet to amortise any of his £36.5m fee.
Getting Casemiro's salary off the wage bill would be a bonus, even if bringing in much of a fee for a 32-year-old well past his best will be a struggle. The stick Zirkzee got from Old Trafford on Monday meant the Brazilian escaped scrutiny for an awful first-half performance.
Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen are both expected to leave on free transfers when their contracts expire in the summer, while Harry Maguire has only six months remaining on his deal, so has no value. United could take the one-year option to keep him until 2026.
The question will be how much United can raise from selling players they are willing to sell. After that, there might be pressure to accept an offer for someone they don't want to let go.
Real Madrid's interest in Diogo Dalot is a likely smokescreen ahead of their free transfer move for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but given how uncomfortable he has looked at wing-back, a deal would probably be welcomed at this stage. The same is probably true of Alejandro Garnacho.
The 20-year-old was one of a handful of untouchables in the summer, but Amorim banished him from the squad for the derby and hasn't started a game since. When he does come on, he looks ill-suited to the system. Garnacho is a winger who is now left without a role.
There is an undoubted talent there, as eight goals and four assists this season have shown, but if United are backing Amorim, Garnacho has to be available. If Real Madrid came calling with £50m, then that money would be better off being invested in specialists to fit the head coach's 3-4-2-1 system.
Maybe Bruno Fernandes would be available as well. Bayern Munich were keen in the summer, before the Portuguese signed a new deal, but a relegation fight is not what he envisaged. You couldn't blame the 30-year-old for wanting out and with his fee now fully amortised, could United afford to turn down the pure profit?
Some of the decisions will prove to be hypothetical, but as January progresses and if results don't improve, there might be some hard choices to be made at Old Trafford.
