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The 10 Manchester United players who could leave this summer

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Man Utd U21s lost 1-0 against Altrincham in a pre-season friendly, and the squad was full of players who are set to leave.

Manchester United’s academy played against Altrincham on Friday, their first public pre-season friendly of the summer.

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Academy games offer clues on which young talents could bridge the gap to the first-team, however, the Under-21 squad at Moss Lane offered more clues on which players will be leaving United this summer.

Toby Collyer, Chido Obi, Dan Gore and Jacob Devaney each had some involvement either against Wrexham or Rosenborg with the first-team, but they did not make the cut for Saturday’s trip to Sweden.

Collyer wants to play senior football. He would already have left if United had finalised their midfield earlier, but his future will be addressed once Michael Carrick knows what his options will look like next season.

The midfielder suffered bad luck during his loan stint with Hull in the second half of last season. He was named man of the match after making his first start for Hull against eventual Championship champions Coventry, but he picked up an injury in a training session when a goalkeeper fell onto his ankle.

The ankle injury prevented Collyer from being involved in Hull’s successful promotion charge, which included a play-off final win at Wembley.

Sources close to Collyer feel he will take off with a clear run of games. He has been tipped by coaches he has worked with on his journey to become an established Premier League player, and could leave on a permanent transfer this summer if the right offer is received.

Obi’s situation is interesting. There were positives to take from his first-team performance in Norway last weekend, but it was a clear hint of his future that he was not included in the senior squad again this weekend.

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Although the young striker almost scored a brilliant goal in the first half against Altrincham, testing goalkeeper Owen Evans after bringing the ball down on his chest, he still has plenty to work on.

It’s telling that Obi still needs to receive constant instructions from coaches on the touchline throughout a game. It has become a running joke that no other player’s name is heard more often than Obi’s during academy fixtures.

During a sit-down with Adam Lawrence toward the end of last season, he said the shouts of ‘Chido!’ were evidence of “really believing” in him, pushing him for more, but the penny should have dropped by now.

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There was talk of FC Köln being interested in Obi on loan earlier in the window, but sources squashed those reports. Another loan is on the cards, though a permanent transfer might also be considered.

Devaney should be sent on another loan after impressing for St Mirren last term. St Mirren maintained their Scottish top-flight status and Devaney started in both relegation play-off matches, which meant his loan spell in Scotland ended with him having not started just two games.

Rangers and Celtic fans spoke highly of Devaney when their clubs played St Mirren. The midfielder also impressed in first-team friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, earning praise from Carrick.

Devaney played in defensive midfield, his strongest position, against Altrincham, after playing as an auxiliary centre-back for the first-team. He certainly did his reputation no harm by excelling in a different role.

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Gore should be sold to the bank to bring in some cash this summer. He was excellent on loan at Rotherham last season and clearly needs another move away, which may be more beneficial if it’s permanent.

The 21-year-old starred alongside Kobbie Mainoo in the 2021/22 FA Youth Cup-winning United side, but he hasn’t had the rub of the green over the last few years, with a few unfortunate injuries curtailing his progress.

There were others in the starting team, the likes of Habeeb Ogunneye, Louis Jackson, Diego Leon and Jack Moorhouse, who will leave before the end of the transfer window. Leon’s development probably hasn’t gone as planned so far, and a loan abroad seems the best option for next season.

Leon was unveiled alongside Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko after his arrival from Paraguay last summer, but he played exclusively in academy fixtures for the second half of last season.

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Enzo Kana-Biyik and Ethan Wheatley were introduced at half-time. United were trailing 1-0, which prompted Lawrence to freshen up the attack by replacing Obi and Moorhouse with that pair.

Both players will be loaned again before the end of the window. Wheatley spent the first half of last season with Northampton and the second half with Bradford City, who just failed to clinch promotion.

Kana-Biyiki was sent to Ineos-owned Lausanne Sport following his arrival from Le Havre on a free transfer. The Frenchman played on the left wing in the second half, and there were hints of quality, but another loan may be the best option for him to play senior football in 2026/2027.

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