Barcelona “receive call” from Sir Jim Ratcliffe about cut-price deals for four Man United stars | OneFootball

New Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly reached out to Barcelona to offer them four stars as INEOS’ summer overhaul starts to take shape.

The summer transfer window is shaping up to be a crucial one for United, who have endured a very underwhelming and disappointing campaign.

The Red Devils are set to miss out on Champions League football and are firmly in the midst of a tough battle to finish within the Europa League places. At the moment, the FA Cup represents the side’s only chance of lifting some form of silverware and somewhat restoring a bit of the pride that has already been lost.

While most of the focus will undoubtedly be on incoming and new faces as Ratcliffe and INEOS seek to bolster the squad, outgoings are equally important. A number of players on United’s payroll continue to be linked with exits.

According to Spanish publication Nacional via Football365, there are four players in particular that Ratcliffe wants to get rid of and has already set the wheels in motion to facilitate their respective departures – Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia.

It’s understood that Barcelona have “received the call” from the Oldham-born billionaire, who has expressed a desire to part ways with Casemiro, Varane, Eriksen and Malacia.

Ratcliffe spoke to Barca chief Deco and gave the Catalan giants “the opportunity to sign all of them” for a”reasonable price.”

United forked out a combined £124m to secure the services of Varane, Casemiro, Malacia and Eriksen. The latter three were brought in by Ten Hag, with Varane the only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recruit between them.

The report notes that the new United co-owner wants to make room on the wage bill and views the sale of the four players as a way to achieve this objective.

It however seems difficult for the Blaugrana to sign any of the four United stars, especially Varane and Casemiro, who have close ties to arch-rivals Real Madrid. The pair enjoyed an extremely successful spell at the Santiago Bernabeu before eventually making the switch to England.

It’s easy to see why United could be open to a parting of ways with Casemiro, Varane, Eriksen and Malacia.

Casemiro has demonstrated a sharp decline in performances this season and appears to have lost a yard or two of space. For weeks now, he has been a liability to the team and his continued selection in Ten Hag’s starting XI remains puzzling. The Brazilian and Varane represent two of United’s highest earners and at 32 and 30 respectively, it doesn’t make much sense to keep them around any longer. Both have also proven to be quite injury-prone.

Eriksen on the other hand lost his place in the team following the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo. The Dane has made no secret of his displeasure with his reduced playing time and with Mason Mount also lurking in the background and United plotting the addition of more midfielders, his opportunities are likely to become even more limited. Like Casemiro and Varane, he is also on the wrong end of his career.

Meanwhile, there are question marks over Malacia and his fitness. The Netherlands international hasn’t played even a single minute of competitive action this term due to injuries. His recovery has been hit by multiple setbacks and it’s unclear whether he’ll be back to top shape as soon as required. United are also thought to be in the market for a new,  younger left-back.

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