How Man Utd Cleared Out Their £173m Bomb Squad to Back Ruben Amorim’s Vision
This summer’s transfer window at Manchester United was just as much about trimming the squad as it was about bringing in new talent. After securing key signings like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, the club turned its attention to offloading the so-called ‘bomb squad’—a group of players manager Ruben Amorim had sidelined and deemed surplus to requirements.
The players in question—Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia—were all effectively pushed toward the exit. Four of the five have now departed, with only Malacia still on the books. These moves have allowed United to significantly reduce their wage bill and generate some revenue through transfers and loans, although not without financial sacrifice.
Perhaps the biggest loss came with Antony. Signed for £86 million, the Brazilian winger was sold to Real Betis for just £21.5 million—a sharp depreciation in value. Rashford, meanwhile, was the first to leave. Having fallen out with Amorim shortly after his arrival, the England international was loaned to Barcelona, who agreed to cover his full £325,000-per-week salary—an impressive bit of business for United. The deal also includes a £30 million purchase option, which, if triggered, would represent pure profit under PSR rules since Rashford is a homegrown academy product.
Garnacho’s exit followed a public falling-out with Amorim after he criticized being dropped for United’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham in May. That incident sealed his fate. Like the other members of the bomb squad, he was excluded from the club’s pre-season U.S. tour and instructed to find a new club.
United’s aggressive squad overhaul has sent a clear message: under Ruben Amorim, sentiment will take a backseat to strategy.
