Man Utd should launch mass cull which could see FIVE defenders leave in pivot to Pep Guardiola strategy

MANCHESTER UNITED have plenty of ex-City employees yet cannot take a leaf out of City’s book in the transfer market. They have to next year. Pep Guardiola transformed Man City’s defence after an unremarkable first season at the club Credit: AFP Kyle Walker was the cornerstone of Guardiola’s Man City revolution Credit: Getty – Contributor 2027 will mark the tenth anniversary of the summer it all started to come together for Pep Guardiola’s City. In 2017, City released three full backs and sold the remaining full back, Aleksandar Kolarov. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! In came Kyle Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy for £131.5million. That outlay – on full backs – is jaw-dropping nearly a decade on. It is almost as much as United have just invested in three midfielders. The quirk is Walker was the only success. City cut loose of Danilo after two years and Mendy played 75 times in a truncated spell that ended with his acquittal of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. But the drastic overhaul set the tone for a seven-year dominance. Goalkeeper Ederson signed in the same summer and Guardiola had the tools to truly implement his style. Most read in Sport Man Utd ratings vs Brighton: Lacey a shining light on dark evening as Heaven and Yoro ripped apart MANCHESTER UNITED suffered a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at Old Trafford as Brighton came from two goals down to reach the last 16. It is the first time in 50 years that United have held a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford and lost the game. The Red Devils were in dreamland after early goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount, before the Seagulls took control and mounted a stunning comeback. United have not won a domestic cup match since beating Leicester in the FA Cup in February 2025 and again crashed out at first attempt of the Carabao Cup following last season’s horror show at Grimsby. Michael Carrick is feeling the heat after goals Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper ended one of two potential trophy hopes this season. Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the United players from Old Trafford, as Brighton picked up a fifth straight victory in M16... BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Centurions City won the Premier League title in April 2018. Jose Mourinho sighed after United dropped points against Burnley on Boxing Day in 2017: “Manchester City buy full backs for the price of strikers.” City were already 12 points clear at the summit. The current City are eight points better off than their neighbours and we are only in September. Part of the rationale of upgrading Michael Carrick’s job title was that United could get ahead of the curve, particularly as Guardiola was nearing the end of his farewell tour. Instead, United are behind the curve. City have given Enzo Maresca such remarkable backing that they have not yet missed Rodri, the outstanding midfielder of the past decade. There was more upheaval in City’s midfield than United’s. Both clubs made three midfield signings but City’s cheapest, Ayyoub Bouaddi, cost more than United’s priciest, Carlos Baleba. Baleba will not play until October, a consequence of an ankle injury sustained in late July. And if the Red Devils continue on their current trajectory, the Cameroon star might be making his debut under a new manager. United have missed holding midfielder Baleba as they can barely defend. This is no shock as they have not signed a defender for two summers running. Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui arrived in the 2024 summer window and Ayden Heaven joined in February 2025. United have five senior centre backs and two of the club’s full backs (Maraoui and Luke Shaw) have played in the position. Shaw, Mazraoui, Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dorgu and Harry Amass are left back options. Quantity over quality. Every United defender is on trial this season, by virtue of their contract situation or, in the case of De Ligt, an intolerable injury record. Only United have tolerated worse injury records than De Ligt’s. This is Shaw’s 13th season at United and he has already broken down. It feels improbable United will offer Shaw a new contract when he can be released in the summer. Harry Maguire could be let go, too. Maguire has had a respectable few years at United but turns 34 in March and is not getting any quicker. He has Carrick’s trust, yet how much longer will Carrick be around? Maguire and Shaw have been at United for a combined 19 years Credit: Getty De Ligt (left), seen here training in Ireland last month, has not played since November 30 while United should consider getting rid of Martinez (right) if they wish to be bold Credit: Getty Man Utd fans are losing patience with Diogo Dalot Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Mazraoui has started the season poorly Credit: Shutterstock Editorial If United wanted to be truly bold they would release Lisandro Martinez as well, rather than trigger the one-year option in his deal. The latter seems likelier as Martinez has some resale value, provided he does not succumb to another injury. Dalot and Mazraoui will both have a year remaining on their contracts come next summer. Many United matchgoers sound as though they are at the end of their tether with Dalot, who seldom reaches an acceptable level of performance. Mazraoui has performed appallingly in his first two starts this term. The former United director of football John Murtough was sceptical of Erik ten Hag’s interest in Mazraoui’s international teammate, Sofyan Amrabat, as he felt it was a knee-jerk reaction to Morocco’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-final. With and without Murtough, United signed Amrabat and Mazraoui in successive summers. Regime change at United has not initiated enough change. One of Dalot and Mazraoui absolutely have to go. If United’s defensive record does not improve, then there will be a case to shift both. United will need a right back, a left back and a centre back, minimum, next year. Yoro, a £58.91m buy more than two years ago, has got to start acting like a senior squad member. He is learning off Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans. Evans is proof a young defender can be bedded into the United team and excel. A fresh-faced Evans on his third appearance for United in Rome, December 2007 Credit: PA:Press Association Evans has been on the United coaching staff since January Credit: Getty Only Evans shared a dressing room with Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and John O’Shea. He had a second spell on loan at Sunderland as Gerard Pique was ahead of him in the pecking order. World-class and a future World Cup winner. United are a world away from that now. City aren’t. Comment now