The Three Man Utd Players Who Survived the Cut and Remain at the Club Despite Coach’s Decision

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was reportedly forced to ‘banish’ five players from the club’s training facility at Carrington last year, with three of those players still at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag made several signings over the summer, including Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Antony, Tyrell Malacia, and Christian Eriksen.

There were also several departures, including long-serving midfielders Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Nemanja Matic, who all left on free transfers.

However, United still needed to reduce the number of people on their training grounds. According to The Sun, the AON Training Centre can only accommodate 24 first-team players.

According to the same source, Ten Hag was forced to transfer five players from the first-team setup to the U23s. Among them were defenders Phil Jones, Brandon Williams, and Axel Tuanzebe, as well as youngsters Shola Shoretire and Teden Mengi.

What happened to Ten Hag’s “banished players”?

Shoretire and Tuanzebe have both secured loan moves away from the club, with Shoretire impressing in League One with Bolton.

Tuanzebe, meanwhile, joined Championship club Stoke in January and has appeared in three of the Potters’ five-game unbeaten run.

Meanwhile, Williams and Mengi remain at the club. Williams has only appeared in one competitive game this season, a six-minute substitute appearance in the League Cup against Burnley in December, after missing the first half of the season due to injury.

Meanwhile, Mengi has appeared in several games for United’s reserve team this season, as well as the Papa John’s Trophy.

Jones has been conspicuously absent throughout the campaign, though the reason for this has yet to be revealed. He has been left out of the club’s Premier League and Champions League squads.

The former Blackburn defender’s contract expires at the end of the season, with Williams’ contract running until 2024 with an option for an additional year.

Tuanzebe could also leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, while Shoretire and Mengi are likely to stay at Old Trafford or go out on loan next season.