5 players who must leave Manchester United to further their careers
Manchester United are starting to show plenty of signs of progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It is imperative that the manager nurtures a competitive environment within the squad to bring out the best in his players. While some individuals thrive in such atmospheres, others struggle.
Solskjaer has discovered several key combinations that work on the pitch and he seems to have a steady starting lineup these days. There are a few areas where Manchester United need to strengthen but they've also got world-class quality in a number of positions.
Manchester United are focused on improving their squad depth even more
Over the course of the 2020-21 season, it has become evident that the Red Devils have a fair amount of squad depth. This is obviously good for the team. However, once the manager has a clear group of starters, the players that help provide that squad depth might find game time coming at a premium.
Consequently, what may be good for the team might not exactly be great for their careers. Without further ado, let's take a look at five Manchester United players who need to leave to further their careers.
#5 Alex Telles
Alex Telles is a prime example of a player whose presence is great for the side but not so much for the individual himself. Telles was signed by Manchester United from FC Porto in October 2020. He was brought in to provide competition for Luke Shaw at left-back.
While Telles has impressed in flashes, he has not been afforded a consistent spell of starts in the first team. In all fairness, it was nobody's fault as Luke Shaw just decided to have the best season of his career so far in 2020-21. The Englishman was starting to become a creative force from left-back and for all of Telles' quality, he just couldn't match Shaw's productivity.
Shaw is just 25 and is set to hit his peak. Displacing him from the first-team could be a job-and-a-half for Telles. The Brazilian is also 28-years-old and has a lot to offer. He is a great crosser of the ball and is a dead-ball specialist. While it may be bad news for Manchester United, Telles needs to leave the club to further his career.
#4 Daniel James
Daniel James copped a dream move to Manchester United in June 2019. He impressed in his first few outings. But the 23-year-old has since proved that he has a lot of work to do in order to become a starter for the Red Devils.
A tireless worker, James seems to have improved in a lot of departments in the 2020-21 season. However, the fact that signing a right winger is a priority for Solskjaer in the summer proves that the manager is reluctant to place a lot of trust in James.
The Welshman has a lot of potential but he needs regular game time in order to succeed at the highest level. This often happens with youngsters who earn moves to big clubs early on in their careers.
They could get swallowed whole by the competition and never become the player they could have been because they were not afforded the ample amount of opportunities. It might be in James' best interest to seek a move to a club where he will be guaranteed minutes and perhaps make a switch to a big club after that.