Man Utd need to ditch their “short-term fix” who’s worth less than Amrabat

While injuries have taken their toll at Manchester United this season, the crux of the problem appears to have been the midfield ranks, with Erik ten Hag unable to settle on a consistent unit throughout the entire campaign.

18-year-old rising star Kobbie Mainoo has breathed new life into that department of late, yet the issue remains as to just who will partner the teenager in the long-term, with Casemiro – who appears set to depart this summer – looking more and more like a costly mistake with each passing game.

Ten Hag may well have hoped that a reunion with Sofyan Amrabat – whom he coached in the Netherlands at Utrecht – would have proved far more beneficial, with the Moroccan international simply looking like a “fish out of water” at Old Trafford thus far, as per pundit Chris Sutton.

It will come as no surprise to learn that the man who once got the better of Kylian Mbappe is set to be sent packing at the end of his miserable loan spell, with the Fiorentina maestro – and Casemiro – likely set to be followed out the door by a third midfield asset in the form of Christian Eriksen.

Christian Eriksen’s record at Man Utd

Snapped up on a free transfer back in the summer of 2022, it looked at the time as if the experienced Dane – who had beaten the odds to return to the game following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 – would merely be a replacement for the departing Juan Mata, the type of player who could unlock a defence late on in games off the bench.

However, with Ten Hag’s protracted pursuit of Frenkie de Jong falling flat, Eriksen was repurposed as a deep-lying option alongside fellow arrival, Casemiro, catching the eye during 2022/23 after chalking up two goals and ten assists in all competitions.

Despite that impressive return, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford man was hampered by an ankle injury sustained in January last year and in truth, he has not looked the same since, notably being hooked on the hour mark during the FA Cup semi-final triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion, in which he had a ‘day to forget’ – as per The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson.

As for the current campaign, the 32-year-old – who has 15 goals and assists in 65 games for the club – has been something of a bystander to proceedings amid the rise of young Mainoo and with Scott McTominay stealing the limelight with nine goals across all fronts.

Now, his future at the Theatre of Dreams rightly looks uncertain…

Christian Eriksen’s market value in 2024

Such has been Eriksen’s tumble down the pecking order this season, the £150k-per-week star has been afforded just nine top-flight starts to date, having only recently gone public with his frustration at that lack of game time.

Branded a mere “short-term fix” by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton, the 128-cap Denmark international does still have a year left on his current contract in Manchester, although rumours are rife that he could be shown the door 12 months early.

If he is to depart this summer, United will likely still make a profit after signing him for nothing almost two years ago, although the size of the transfer fee may not quite be as enticing as it should be.

As per Transfermarkt, the experienced talent was valued at around €25m (£21m) at the peak of his time under Ten Hag back in November 2022, albeit with that having since plummetted to just €10m (£9m) at present.

While age may be a factor in that decline, it is telling that he has now even slipped behind Amrabat of all people, with the forgotten man valued at €22m (£19m), despite his lack of action in a United shirt.

With there seemingly little sense in keeping Eriksen – nor Amrabat and Casemiro – around for another campaign, the new Sir Jim Ratcliffe regime must be ruthless and wield the axe this summer.