Manchester United know who to blame if they are forced into transfer decision fans will hate

Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn't been afraid of making difficult decisions in his 11 months in charge at Old Trafford, and if a good offer arrives for Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho this month, you can be certain sentimentality won't be priced into the equation.

Manchester United need to sell to raise funds to invest in Ruben Amorim's squad, as well as ease their own position within the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), and that means some hard decisions might have to be made.

Some easy ones could come first. Offers would be welcomed for Casemiro, Antony, and Marcus Rashford, and the departure of any of them, even on loan, would be a financial bonus, but it is sales that will really move the dial for United.

That has led to the unpalatable position of not ruling out sales of the club's crown jewels from the academy. Mainoo and Garnacho were among the 'untouchables' in the summer, but no player now holds that status under Amorim. As academy players, their sales would represent pure profit in PSR terms, and they would both attract sizeable fees.

There are also reasons why United must consider a departure for both. Mainoo, 19, is at an impasse over a new contract, and Garnacho, 20, is yet to force his way into Amorim's starting XI. Chelsea are keeping tabs on the situation around midfielder Mainoo, and Garnacho has long been tipped for a return to Spain.

Selling either would go down like a lead balloon amongst the fanbase, but United are in a position where they can't afford to turn down attractive bids. They have gotten themselves into this position with some woeful and wasteful recruitment decisions. Spending £70m on Casemiro and £85m on Antony are prime examples.

In an ideal world, that pair of 2022