For Manchester United fans still holding onto hope that this summer might be calmer than the last few, that illusion shattered pretty quickly.
As the club released their official squad list for the upcoming pre-season tour of the United States, four noticeable absentees raised eyebrows.
Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia. Not injured, not suspended, not even training separately due to fitness issues. just not included.
It didn’t take long for Fabrizio Romano and other insiders to confirm what most fans were already thinking these players haven’t just been dropped for tactical reasons. They’ve been left out because United are trying to sell the four of them.
And just like that, the message from the club is clear: a fresh start is being turned at Old Trafford.
So Why Were They Left Out?
You don’t just drop four recognizable first-team names from a high-profile tour and pretend it’s normal. Especially not when they include Garnacho, a fan favorite who just turned 20, and someone many still see as one of the brightest young stars in the Premier League.
The other names Sancho, Antony, and Malacia are all familiar in their own right. Sancho’s £73 million arrival from Dortmund was supposed to be the start of a new attacking era.
Antony, signed for nearly £85 million, was Erik ten Hag’s prized Ajax product. Malacia came in as a promising left-back with the kind of aggressive profile the club had been missing.
But here we are, mid-July, and none of them will board the plane to the United States.
Romano didn’t sugarcoat it either. In his tweet, he wrote:
“Sancho, Antony, Malacia and Garnacho are not travelling with the Man United squad for the U.S. tour. All of them are up for sale.”
Just like that. Straightforward and brutal.
The Garnacho Situation Hits Hardest
Out of all the players left behind, Garnacho’s name stung the most. He’s not just another winger on the books, he’s a youth product.
The kind of player United fans want to succeed. The kind of story that makes football romantic again, a teenager breaking into the first team, scoring wondergoals, kissing the badge.
He had his moments. That overhead kick against Everton? One of the goals of the season. His energy off the bench? Infectious. There were periods when he seemed like the only one on the pitch who gave a damn.
But toward the end of the season, something shifted. His form dipped, there were reports of clashes with staff over attitude and discipline, and suddenly the same player that once symbolized the club’s future is now on the chopping block.
“I still think he has magic in his boots,” said one long-time United supporter on a fan forum. “But this club can be ruthless when it wants to be.”
Reports suggest Napoli and even some Saudi clubs made inquiries, but Garnacho has resisted a move so far. For now, he’s training alone at Carrington, waiting for the next chapter to unfold.
What Went Wrong with Sancho
Jadon Sancho’s case is more complicated and, frankly, sad.
This was a player who lit up the Bundesliga at Dortmund. Quick, tricky, intelligent, and full of creativity. United fans waited nearly two years for the club to finally land him, and when he arrived, the excitement was huge.
But his time at Old Trafford has been a slow decline. There were flashes here and there, but he never really found his rhythm. A public falling out with Ten Hag didn’t help, and last season, he was loaned to Dortmund again, in what many thought could be his redemption arc.
It wasn’t.
The loan spell ended quietly. Dortmund didn’t want to keep him permanently, and Chelsea who showed interest in January walked away due to his wage demands.
Now he’s back at United, unwanted, unneeded, and training away from the first team. His price tag has plummeted, and United may have to offload him at a major loss just to get his wages off the books.
“It’s sad,” said a former United academy coach, quoted in The Athletic. “Jadon has the talent, but he needs the right environment. United haven’t been that.”
Antony and the Ten Hag Experiment
Antony’s story is almost poetic and not in a good way.
He followed Ten Hag from Ajax, brought in with the hope of replicating their connection in Manchester. That price tag nearly £85 million immediately became a weight on his shoulders.
And whether it was the pressure, the change of league, or just a mismatch of expectations, it never clicked. Yes, he had a couple of screamers. But most of his time at United has been marked by inconsistency and a frustrating lack of end product.
He was loaned out to Real Betis in January, where he did a bit better, but certainly not well enough to convince United to reintegrate him.
Some links have appeared in recent days between Antony and Bayer Leverkusen, but nothing concrete. What’s clear is that United aren’t planning around him anymore.
“There’s no space for luxury projects,” said football writer Laurie Whitwell. “If a player doesn’t deliver consistently, he won’t survive Amorim’s system.”
Malacia’s Unfortunate Fall
Tyrell Malacia might be the least talked about of the four, but his story is just as disappointing.
He arrived from Feyenoord with promise. A tough, physical left-back who could push Luke Shaw for minutes. But he never really got going. Things didn’t really go how he want. He had a few injuries, didn’t get much start in the team, and kind of losing form.
He’s only 25, so he’s still got time. A move back to the Netherlands could help, or maybe he tries his luck in Germany where the pressure isn’t much. But at United, the door has been quietly closed.
What About Maguire?
Harry Maguire’s not also part of the tour, but that one’s nothing to do with football. The club said it’s a personal issue, and he should be back with the team soon.
This is important because it shows that the other four weren’t excluded for fitness or personal issues. This was a footballing decision, one clearly tied to the transfer market.
Amorim’s Making Big Changes Already
Rúben Amorim, United’s new manager, didn’t waste time. Since arriving from Sporting Lisbon, his fingerprints have been all over this reset.
His system requires high work rate, positional discipline, and adaptability. He’s not interested in keeping players who don’t fit that mold.
So far, Amorim has brought in Matheus Cunha from Wolves and is chasing Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. He wants a modern, pressing side, not a team of individuals waiting for something to happen.
The pre-season squad announcement wasn’t just a list, it was a statement.
Financial Reality Behind the Decisions
There’s also the brutal financial truth: Manchester United need to sell. The club’s debt is still hovering above £1 billion, and with Premier League profit and sustainability rules tightening, United can’t spend without clearing room first.
The sales of Garnacho, Sancho, Antony, and Malacia could raise upwards of £150 million, depending on how the market moves. That’s money united need not just for new signings, but to balance the books and stay compliant.
And let’s be honest, how many more seasons can United keep paying high wages to players who aren’t contributing?
A New Era Begins But Not Without Pain
Seeing four familiar names left out of pre-season stings, even if it makes football sense. These are players who, at one point or another, carried fan hopes. Garnacho, the fearless teenager. Sancho, the long-awaited savior. Antony, the flashy Ajax arrival. Malacia, the no-nonsense defender.
Now they’re all training alone, waiting for transfers, their time at Old Trafford quietly ending.
For the fans, it’s bittersweet. There’s always that hope they’d come good. But there’s also an understanding that this club can’t afford to get stuck in nostalgia or emotional attachments. It’s rebuild or repeat failure.
“I just want a team that gives everything,” one supporter posted. “If that means moving on from fan favorites, so be it.”
This summer might be brutal. But maybe it’s what United need.