Predicting where the five wantaway players end up

Manchester United are about to embark on their first pre-season under Ruben Amorim, but five high-profile players won’t be joining up with the squad.

Marcus Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia have no place in Amorim’s plans and have reportedly been transfer-listed.

We’ve had a go at predicting where all five players end up this summer. Please don’t shout at us in September when it turns out we’ve got this all hilariously wrong.

Marcus Rashford – Barcelona (loan)

Nico Williams’ decision to sign a long-term contract with his boyhood club reopens the door for Rashford to get his preferred move.

“Yeah, for sure, Everybody in the world wants to play with the best,” Rashford said of the prospect of linking up with Lamine Yamal, speaking on Spanish YouTube channel xBuyer.

“Hopefully … We’ll see.”

Barcelona’s precarious financial situation, with question marks over their ability to officially register new signings, is believed to be what spooked Williams.

So landing another big-money target is easier said than done, even if reports are to be believed that the England international is willing to take a pay cut on his considerable £300,000-a-week salary.

You’d imagine that Rashford will have no shortage of suitors, at least on loan, but his heart sounds set on Barcelona.

It’s far from the ideal scenario for Manchester United but we wouldn’t be surprised if this one runs until the final weeks, days, or even hours of the window. Another awkward loan compromise seems likely.

Antony – Real Betis (loan)

“We have to do one of those ‘crowdfunding’s to see if we can bring him back for at least another year,” Real Betis playmaker Isco told DAZN last season.

“(I’m) happy to be enjoying Antony, he’s surprised us all with the humility with which he came, his willingness to help us and what he brings.

“We’ve noticed a change since he arrived and (I’m) very happy for him, for the team and with the desire to keep doing things well.”

After struggling so badly for form at Old Trafford, the Brazilian winger was a real hit at Real Betis during his half-season loan.

Unfortunately for Manchester United, the La Liga outfit are in no position to offer the kind of fee they’d be looking for, having shelled out a mammoth £82million to sign him from Ajax in the first place. The Verdiblancos’ record signing is still Denilson… from way back in 1998.

There are suggestions that Erik ten Hag is eyeing up a reunion at Bayer Leverkusen. That’s one to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, Betis president Angel Haro has stated he’s working to bring Antony back to the Benito Villamarin next season.

We foresee another loan if United get desperate.

Alejandro Garnacho – Napoli

Amorim has been tight-lipped on Garnacho’s future but the winger’s days in Manchester appear numbered. The current boss reportedly told Garnacho “you better pray you can find a club to sign you” in a furious training pitch bust-up late last season.

Chelsea have long been linked with the out-of-favour Argentinian, but with Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian set to follow Liam Delap and Joao Pedro through the arrivals door at Cobham this summer we’d be amazed if Enzo Maresca’s Blues pursue yet another attacker.

A return to his home city of Madrid is one potential scenario. He spent five years developing his skills in Atletico Madrid’s academy, and going back would tick a lot of boxes.

But Napoli sounds like the one to us. Antonio Conte loves raiding the Premier League and the Serie A champions still haven’t really replaced Kvicha Kvaratskhelia after he was sold to PSG in January. Him, De Bruyne and McTominay could form their own Manchester old boys club in Naples.

Jadon Sancho – Besiktas

High-profile Turkish Super League signings always sound like a shock at first, but give them a second’s thought and they soon feel natural.

Tammy Abraham at Besiktas? Sure, why not. Leroy Sane at Galatasaray? We can buy that. Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Fenerbahce has a nice ring to it.

It would’ve been unthinkable four years ago, when Sancho signed for United as one of the hottest properties in European football, but such is the extent of his stagnation that a way-too-early move to Turkey sounds about right.

We could see him reuniting with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the man who originally signed him for United, at Besiktas.

“Yes, I wanted to sign him,” Solskjaer told The Athletic last season.

“Manchester United will never sign a player the manager doesn’t want. That’s not the case everywhere. Jadon was put up as the No 1 target for the right wing by the scouts and when you look at his talent, I could see why.

“Unfortunately, it has not worked out. When he arrived, he had to go to hospital and that was a setback as he couldn’t start the first games. He’s immensely talented and we haven’t seen the best of him. I hope we do, but he prefers to play left wing… where Marcus (Rashford) plays.”

Tyrell Malacia – Feyenoord

The forgotten member of United’s wantaway quintet, Malacia is on the lookout for a fresh start.

After 18 months of barely kicking a ball, the full-back joined PSV on loan in January. It was there that he won the Eredivisie title, but he only featured intermittently and didn’t do enough to earn a permanent move.

Malacia needs a run of starts again. We can’t envisage a better destination than his hometown of Rotterdam and a return to his boyhood club Feyenoord.

Current Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie posted a heartfelt message of thanks to Malacia back when he made the move to Manchester three years ago:

“You’ve showed that with self-belief, lots of talent and hard work day in, day out that dreams come true so to all Red Devils fans, you’re not only getting a very talented full-back, but also a fantastic person,” Van Persie said.

Sounds like he’d have him back in a flash.

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