The 17 players Man Utd let go in the summer – & how they’re faring elsewhere
Manchester United had a huge clear-out of players in the summer 2024 transfer window – but how have they all fared since leaving the club?
After winning the FA Cup, Erik ten Hag earned a (temporary) stay of execution and oversaw the departure of 17 players including some who had been integral members of the United squad for years.
We’ve checked in on the players who departed Old Trafford in the summer and have assessed how they’re getting on elsewhere.
Alvaro Carreras
Just months after leaving United for Benfica, Carreras is being linked with a return to Old Trafford to fix their problem left-back position. Sounds like a sensibly run club to us.
READ: Man Utd’s left-back woes can be solved by a world-class talent ready to return home
Tom Huddlestone
Huddlestone’s two years as player-coach with United’s under-21 team expired over the summer and the former England international has enjoyed an eventful few months since.
Initially signed by Wigan Athletic in the position of first-team coach, Huddlestone soon moved to fellow League One outfit Birmingham City and also squeezed in some coaching with England’s under-21s.
Charlie McNeill
Life just hasn’t gone to plan for McNeill, who seemed destined for a dream career at United after hundreds of goals at youth level with City before rejoining his boyhood club for a significant fee in 2020.
Two years on from the youth cup triumph and four since joining United, 20-year-old McNeill left the club this summer, following underwhelming loan spells at Newport County and Stevenage.
He dropped down to the Championship and signed for Sheffield Wednesday, who he has made three appearances and scored twice for so far in 2024-25.
Raphael Varane
Varane retired from football in September 2024 at the age of 31.
Varane joined Italian side Como on a free transfer in July but suffered a knee injury on his debut against Sampdoria last month.
The centre-back said he will stay at the club in a non-playing role.
“I hold myself to the highest standard, I want to go out strong, not just holding on to the game,” he wrote on Instagram. “It takes a big dose of courage to listen to your heart and your instinct.”
The defender won multiple trophies including 18 with Real Madrid, the World Cup with France and last season’s FA Cup with United. He retired as one of the best centre-backs of his generation.
Shola Shoretire
Joining United at the age of nine, Shoretire still holds the record for being the youngest player to feature in European competition for United, eclipsing Norman Whiteside as a substitute under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.
Since winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award, the teenager was overlooked in the shuffle following Solskjaer’s departure, the Ralf Rangnick era and Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.
Shoretire turned down a new contract with United and moved to Greece for more first-team football, joining PAOK. He’ll return to Old Trafford in this season’s Europa League.
Anthony Martial
The second of three former United players who relocated to Greece this summer, Martial left Old Trafford after nine frequently frustrating years and signed for AEK Athens.
He made his debut off the bench in his side’s 1-1 draw against PAOK, but failed to impress local journalists during his 15-minute cameo.
‘How was Martial’s debut in the Greek league?’ Kostas Kofinas wrote. ‘The French forward played as a substitute for about 20 minutes, while his participation can be described as ‘colourless, odourless, and tasteless.’
Brandon Williams
Williams, who made a strong impression in 2019-20 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, spent last season out on loan with Ipswich Town where he made 17 appearances and scored two goals.
There have been reports of ill-discipline and a lack of focus that has seen William’s career stall, but the 24-year-old remains a very capable full-back, especially in the Championship.
He is currently unattached, but it will surely only be a matter of time before he finds his next club.
Omari Forson
Another 2023-24 breakthrough, Forson made his debut in the FA Cup against Wigan and his Premier League debut away at Wolves, where he provided the assist for Kobbie Mainoo’s late winner.
United offered the forward a new deal at the end of the season, but he rejected it and chose to leave the club for increased opportunities elsewhere, inking a four-year deal with Serie A outfit Monza.
Forson has made just one appearance in Italy so far.
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Donny van de Beek
Prior to his move to United, Van de Beek was one of the nominees for the 2019 Ballon d’Or. Four years later, the Dutch midfielder was a shell of his former self after rotting away on the Old Trafford subs bench.
In a deal that suited all parties, Van de Beek moved to Girona this summer and has already played more sustained first-team football than he ever managed in England.
With one goal in 10 appearances, the 27-year-old is performing steadily in both La Liga and the Champions League, sparking hopes of a career renaissance.
Willy Kambwala
Kambwala became the 248th player to graduate from United’s youth system after he made his senior debut in December 2023. The 20-year-old was still very raw, but the early signs of potential were obvious to see.
This made it strange that United decided to sell the defender to Villarreal for £10million, although some have attributed the decision to those pesky FFP rules.
Kambwala made his La Liga debut against Sevilla, but suffered the recurrence of a knee problem and hasn’t played since.
Mason Greenwood
Greenwood was sold to Marseille for a fee of up to £26.6million and has scored six goals in eight games for the Ligue 1 side.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing as United boss upon the defender’s arrival in 2019.
The defender was a fairly consistent performer over the years, albeit he perhaps didn’t hit the heights that were first expected, but many supporters were saddened to see him sold to West Ham for £15million.
Playing in a more expansive role under Julen Lopetegui, Wan-Bissaka has impressed during his new side’s shaky start to the season and helped the Hammers beat United in Ten Hag’s final game in charge in October 2024.
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Facundo Pellistri
Pellistri spent three years earning his stripes at youth level and then on two separate loans with Alaves before being trusted with United’s first team.
Pellistri had to show a tremendous amount of patience after slotting seamlessly into United’s under-23 setup, but was finally handed his competitive debut against Charlton Athletic in January 2023.
Sporadic appearances followed, but the Uruguay international never looked likely to make the cut and was sold to Panathinaikos for £5.1million this summer.
The winger has scored once in nine appearances for the Greek side in 2024-25 and played against Chelsea in the Conference League.
Maxi Oyedele
After leaving United for Legia Warsaw this summer, Oyedele has played domestic and continental football – and also made his international debut for Poland.
“Participating in the pre-season training camp was particularly important for me, where I learned a lot,” Oyedele told Legia Warsaw’s official website.
“Now I feel well prepared for the next step. I want to show what I have learned and continue to develop in order to achieve my goals.
“For me, it [the move away] is above all a huge chance to make a name for myself by playing for Legia.”
Will Fish
Fish made his senior debut for United back in 2020–21 and spent the last three seasons out on loan where he continued to develop.
But United made the decision to offload the defender rather than integrate him into the first team, flogging him to Cardiff for a small fee of £1million.
The 21-year-old has made just two appearances for the Championship side so far, but may get more opportunities if the Welsh side continue to struggle.
Hannibal Mejbri
After winning the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year in May 2021, the midfielder made his first-team debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer days later in a win over Wolves.
But the Tunisia international left Old Trafford for Burnley this summer in a deal worth up to £9.4million, ending his five-year spell with United after struggling to secure regular first-team football.
Hannibal has become a regular at Turf Moor, playing eight times as Scott Parker’s side look to make an instant return to the Premier League.
Scott McTominay
Joining his boyhood club’s academy at the age of five, McTominay saw it all with United and lived the dream.
He went on to make over 200 appearances for the club after breaking through under Jose Mourinho, winning the League Cup and the FA Cup in the process while scoring many vital goals over the years.
But doubts remained over his all-round game and United eventually sold the midfielder to Napoli at the end of August 2024 for a fee of £25.7million.
The Scotland international has already won over the local fans, scoring twice in seven matches and helping Napoli top the early Serie A table.
Speaking earlier this month amid McTominay’s flying start in Italy, former United boss Ten Hag conceded he did not want to sell the midfielder.
“I didn’t want him to leave but it is the rules,” he said. “The clubs have to deal with the Financial Fair Play rules and the rules are not great.
“The rules are, I would even say, bad… it forced us to make this decision.”