COMMENT: Fred and Fenerbahce. So that's another one. Harry Maguire is likely next. Scott McTominay too. With directors and manager in sync, this unannounced clearout at Manchester United is only gaining more and more momentum...
And we say in sync because the roles of Richard Arnold and John Murtough in this historic offloading cannot be underestimated. And it is historic. Not in modern times have we seen an overhaul of a Manchester United squad as we've witnessed these past 12 months. From Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo. To David de Gea and Jesse Lingard. They've all been jettisoned. The high earners. The sponsors' favourites. The fringe players. The youngsters. Erik ten Hag hasn't stood on ceremoney. If he can't see a place for you in his planning, then off you go.
De Gea. Alex Telles. And potentially Maguire and McTominay. Players who have shown they can be outstanding at Premier League level. But it's not enough. Not for Ten Hag. And not for the Manchester United he has envisioned.
So they're gone. Or are about to. United have accepted an offer from West Ham United for Maguire. And they're haggling with the Irons over terms for McTominay. But the decision has been made, there's no way through for them under Ten Hag. It's squad player status, now, at best. Indeed, United are even offering Maguire a staggering £6m to accept West Ham's offer and leave. Again, Ten Hag's not messing about - and neither are those upstairs.
Would this have happened under Ed Woodward? No chance. The former vice-chairman always put money and profit ahead of the intangibles of football. Offering their sacked captain such a staggering pay-off just wouldn't be on the table if Woodward was still in charge. Indeed, accepting such a loss on an £80m investment would also be unthinkable. But it is now. And full credit to Arnold and Murtough for convincing the Glazers to accept making such major losses on individual talent. And it should be highlighted, both men have made this shift under duress. With the club's sale rumbling on - and it all being handled out of an office in New York - Arnold and Murtough are continuing their brief with a constant cloud hanging over their own futures. The stress of the transfer window is one thing. Having to handle it with constant speculation about your job in the gossip columns is something else altogether.
But they've managed to make it work. And they're giving Ten Hag everything he's been seeking. The fee paid for Rasmus Hojlund is proof enough of that. We can argue about whether the Dane is worth it. But when you consider it would've taken an extra €20m to beat Bayern Munich to Harry Kane's signing, it's clear the money was there to buy the former Tottenham striker. Only the obstinance of Daniel Levy stood in United's way.
They've gone the Arsenal route, have United. Or better yet, the Edu route. An acceptance that underperforming players no longer retain their value. Woodward's idea of handing new contracts to the likes of Jones and Ashley Young something that never was going to succeed. On paper, sure, it made sense. Keep the player contracted in order to secure a fee. But in today's football. In today's global market. Such a policy just doesn't work.
Edu, the Gunners' technical director, discussed his approach last season: "I know it hurts, I know it's strange when I go to the board and say, 'Sometimes it's better to pay a player to leave, than maintain them'. But I consider it an investment.
"Sometimes people say, 'It's expensive'. I say, 'No, it's investment'. But someone will pay if you sell? No, guys — if the player is above 26, 27 and not performing, big salary, no chance."
Which is exactly how chief exec Arnold and United's technical director Murtough are handling this. There's no point keeping players around if they're not contributing. But too often, United were stuck with those who refused to move on. Woodward called it "avoiding execution", insisting they couldn't afford to be caught short by a group of fringe players leaving at the same time. But it was thinking that clearly worked against the squad's health.
However now things have changed - and dramatically. The term 'dead wood' will no longer apply to this United dressing room. It's significant that with barely a fortnight of the summer market to run, no senior player has left United on-loan. The idea of 'parking' players at other clubs and in other leagues just to get them away is another policy which appears on the way out. Again, if Ten Hag can't see a place for a player, he doesn't see the benefit of sending them away for 12 months only for the situation to raise it's head again upon his return.
With Ten Hag the culture hasn't just shifted at Manchester United. It's been transformed. There's a seriousness about the place. A ruthlessness. Something that past managers tried to bring through, but were thwarted by player power and a reluctant board.
But that's changed now. And while Ten Hag does deserve the credit, none of this would be possible without the support and co-operation of Arnold and Murtough. With directors and manager in sync, there's a momentum about a place. A seriousness.
Fans may disagree with the individuals jettisoned. But they know Ten Hag and those upstairs are making decisions with one purpose: to win football games.
