Who should stay and go at Man United this summer as Erik ten Hag plots summer business

Manchester United may have fallen short in their bid to win the FA Cup and thwart their arch rivals’ Treble plans, but Erik ten Hag will be optimistic about next season after a satisfying debut season at Old Trafford.

Ilkay Gundogan’s run of volleys helped Manchester City beat United to claim their second trophy of the season on Saturday, with a potential third in this weekend’s Champions League final.

Although it was a disappointing end to the season, the defeat at Wembley does not detract from Ten Hag’s impressive start in Manchester.

The Dutchman guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, securing a return to the Champions League, the League Cup and an FA Cup final following his arrival from Ajax last summer.

Next season he hopes to go even further and join City in the title race, but Ten Hag has to move a number of players to make room for reinforcements. Mail sports has checked the rule over his first team selection, assessing who should stay, who should go and which stars will pose a dilemma this summer.

MUST STAY: Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Tyrell Malacia, Diogo Dalot, Facundo Pellistri, Alejandro Garnacho, Lisandro Martinez, Antony

Ten Hag’s five indispensable players at the moment are Rashford, who has scored 30 goals in all competitions, captain Fernandes, General Casemiro in midfield and key defenders Varane and Shaw.

Those players are the backbone of his team at Old Trafford and will therefore not be going anywhere this summer. All are on contract until at least 2025, except Rashford, who is expected to write a bumper extension in the coming weeks.

Eriksen also proved an important member of the side after arriving on a free transfer last year. The 31-year-old defender has made 44 appearances this season and can continue to be a useful squad player, even if United strengthen in midfield this summer.

Defying early criticism, Martinez went on to enjoy a fantastic debut season in the Premier League – which was cut short by injury – meaning he will be central to Ten Hag’s plans next season, while Antony has shown glimpses of his talent , but good start. to justify his £86 million price tag next season.

After joining from Feyenoord last summer, Malacia has often had to settle for a spot on the bench as Shaw’s deputy at left-back, although at 23 he’s already a credible back-up who will only get better with age.

Garnacho is promising and his development will be best served next season under Ten Hag rather than on loan. Sancho also deserves to fight for a starting place after a strong end to the season. Pellistri, meanwhile, is certainly a talent worth keeping, even if a move would suit him better.

BIG CHOICE: David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Fred, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial, Tom Heaton

One of United’s toughest decisions this summer comes in the form of long-serving goalkeeper De Gea, who has long been divided among the club’s fanbase.

A game-winning shot-stopper at his peak, the Spaniard is proving just as capable of losing games far too regularly – including in Saturday’s FA Cup final when he kicked Gundogan’s winner into the back of the net let drip.

With his contract expiring this summer, Ten Hag must weigh up whether to replace him with a new number 1. According to reports in Portugal, United are leading the race for Porto’s Diogo Costa.

A new contract for De Gea – for much less than his current £375,000-a-week deal – simply needs to be signed by the club.

Other dilemmas this summer include Wan-Bissaka, who looked set to leave on loan in January before enjoying a solid second half of the season, back-up centre-backs Lindelof and Maguire and midfield substitute McTominay.

To take Maguire further, United will have to pay a £10 million wage bill to get him off their books as he has two years left on his £190,000-a-week contract. Given he’s clearly not in Ten Hag’s plans, it could be a price worth paying. But if they choose to keep him for at least another year, Lindelof could be the defender to make room for potential recruits.

Wan-Bissaka is not guaranteed regular first-team football with Dalot at right-back in the league, while McTominay has fallen out of favor behind Casemiro and Fred in midfield. Nevertheless, both players would be useful selection players next season, regardless of who comes.

Fred has admitted he is unsure about his own future heading into the final year of his deal, but after earning McTominay’s endorsement in the cup final it would be a surprise to see him leave.

Martial, who has been injured for most of the season, is set to retire next summer, meaning United must decide whether to cash him in while they still can in the coming months or risk losing him for free. With a new centre-forward on the way, the first might be the wisest move. Reserve goalkeeper Heaton will become a free transfer on July 1.

OUTSIDE: Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst, Anthony Elanga, Marcel Sabitzer

After a disappointing spell at Manchester on loan, and with Ten Hag looking to sign the likes of Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, Weghorst is set to return to Burnley this summer with no chance of United signing him permanently.

The 30-year-old, who is reportedly on Everton’s radar, failed to score a single Premier League goal in his time at Old Trafford.

Butland did not get any game time in his confusing six-month loan spell and will therefore return to parent club Crystal Palace.

United at one point considered a permanent move for Sabitzer, who was performing well before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury last month, but he too has not done enough to sign full-time and will return to Bayern Munich.

Elanga, meanwhile, has been used sparingly by Ten Hag and is expected to leave for good or on loan in the summer transfer window, with a rumored fee of £10million. At 21 and with plenty of time to develop, United will probably be most interested.