Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes both Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo should be available for sale, unconvinced that either is a world class player. After emerging as two of the brightest prospects at Old Trafford for years, Garnacho and Mainoo now both have uncertain futures with the Red Devils. Both have been linked with exits, with the club able to post favourable numbers in terms of Profit and Sustainability Rules by selling academy products and their current position meaning they may need to do this.

Saha feels this is reason enough to consider selling the pair, but he is also not entirely convinced they are the right players for Manchester United anyway. ‘The one thing that I would say is that a player like Garnacho and Mainoo as well, they become attractive options to sell because from a PSR perspective, academy products are counted as pure profit,’ Saha told spaceportsweden.com. ‘If you cash in on these guys, then maybe you can do something special in the transfer market.

‘This might be an unpopular opinion, but football is a business as well. These are two players that have been massively hyped up, but for me, from what I’ve seen of them, there’s no guarantee that they can go on and become the next [Ryan] Giggs or the next Paul Scholes – I haven’t seen everything from them that makes me think these two players are non-transferable. ‘I don’t see them as world class players yet, just prospects, and if the money is good, then maybe you take it while you can.’.

Earlier this month The Guardian reported that Manchester United will listen to offers for any of their players, naming Garnacho, Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund as three stars previously seen as untouchable but no longer. Even summer signings such as Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte would be available for transfer, if the right offer comes in. There is interest from Chelsea in both Garnacho and Mainoo, while Napoli are also keen on the Argentina international and Bayern Munich have been linked with the England midfielder.

Hojlund has scored just two Premier League goals in 18 appearances this season and has not scored in any competition since 12 December against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. Manchester United paid an initial £64m for the Denmark international in 2023 and any hope of regaining that kind of fee for him seems fanciful. However, talkSPORT report that Juventus and Napoli are monitoring the situation and do have an interest in the 21-year-old.