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Old Trafford exodus: Who should stay, who should leave this summer?

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty

"We know there's work to be done." Is there ever.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn't shy about acknowledging his team's deficiencies in the wake of their Champions League defeat to Barcelona earlier this month. Subsequent losses to Everton and rivals Manchester City have only amplified the calls for a dramatic overhaul.

If the club wants to regain its status among Europe's elite, changes aplenty are required. But just how many players do the Red Devils need to replace during the summer transfer window? Below, we assess their current squad, offering verdicts on who should be retained and who should be sent packing.

Note: Only players who have made a league start this season will be considered. Sorry, Lee Grant.

Goalkeepers

David De Gea: Yes, he's had a couple rough matches of late, but without the Spanish shot-stopper, Manchester United wouldn't even have a sniff of the Champions League race. He's one of the very best 'keepers alive; losing him would be devastating. Agreeing to a new contract is an absolute priority.

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Sergio Romero: Finding a reliable backup goalkeeper can be tricky. Finding one who boasts the international pedigree of Romero - and, crucially, who won't rock the boat in pursuit of the No. 1 job - is almost unheard of. Solskjaer would be wise to retain the services of the Argentine veteran.

Defenders

Victor Lindelof: The Swedish international was widely panned after a series of meek performances in his first season at Old Trafford - a disastrous showing against Brighton sticks out - but Lindelof has slowly turned things around. The former Benfica standout, 24, is United's most composed center-back, and with the right partner, he could form one half of a solid pairing next year.

Eric Bailly: He's prone to defensive miscues, but the Ivorian has proven in the past that, when fit and consistently on the pitch, he can be a dominant force. Injuries have limited his influence this season, but despite the expected overhaul of the backline this summer, the 25-year-old Bailly is someone who deserves to stick around.

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Phil Jones: Jones is a versatile defender who can play multiple positions. Sadly, he doesn't play any of them well. We'll lose the (spectacular) memes if United decide to ship him off, but it's for the best.

Chris Smalling: Now creeping up on 30 years old, Smalling has reached his ceiling as a footballer, and, frankly, it's not high enough to be starting consistently for a club that wants to be competing for various titles. It's time to move on from the uninspiring Greenwich native.

Marcos Rojo: It's easy to forget that the Argentine is indeed still at the club. Rojo has made just four Premier League appearances this season, battling through a slew of injuries and subsequent setbacks. Whenever he does take the pitch, though, his rash approach to defending makes him a liability. Of the club's central defenders, he's the obvious candidate to be offloaded.

Ashley Young: Thanks for the memories, Ashley. That the longtime winger has been thrust into a full-back role says more about the club's poor planning than anything else, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that Young, now 33, is well past his best.

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Diogo Dalot: Only 20 years old, the malleable Portuguese full-back has shown, albeit in brief flashes, why the Red Devils were so eager to pry him from Porto. You don't cut bait with someone like that after one season.

Luke Shaw: It feels like he's been around forever, but the energetic left-back is still just 23 and at times has been a lone bright spot at the club during his tenure. The right-back situation desperately needs sorting out, but Solskjaer would do well to entrust the Southampton youth product with the job on the opposite flank.

Antonio Valencia: Solskjaer has already confirmed that the robust Ecuadorian, who is the club's acting captain, will leave Old Trafford this summer after amassing 338 appearances over his decade-long spell.

Matteo Darmian: That he hasn't left already is a surprise. The Italian full-back has featured in only six Premier League matches this season - including, incredibly, this week's derby - but he came very close to leaving in January and will surely be gone once the summer window opens.

Midfielders

Paul Pogba: He's the most talented player on the team, without question. Whether or not he actually wants to be at Old Trafford - even in the wake of Jose Mourinho's departure - is another story; the Real Madrid rumors aren't going away anytime soon. Unless he demands a move, though, getting rid of a legitimate gamebreaker like Pogba would be absolute madness.

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Juan Mata: The 30-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and despite some vital contributions since his move from Chelsea, his influence has waned of late. We've almost certainly seen the last of the Spaniard in the famous red kit.

Jesse Lingard: The most versatile member of the squad, Lingard has a role to play for United going forward. That said, if he's an integral member of the team week in and week out, Solskjaer and Co. are going to continue to sputter. A very good player - but not a great one - the English international is best suited to being the type of flexible bench option that every successful side seems to have.

Andreas Pereira: Similar to Lingard, Pereira doesn't need to be replaced, assuming he's content with being a secondary option next season. He's only 23 and could yet improve, but unless he takes a massive step forward, he's probably not going to be making waves at a club of this stature.

Fred: In hindsight, it certainly looks like Manchester United lit £52 million on fire when they signed the jittery Brazilian from Shakhtar Donetsk. Ideally, the Red Devils would recoup some of that fee by offloading him, but realistically, they're stuck with his misplaced passes for at least another year.

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Ander Herrera: Should United keep hold of their indefatigable Spaniard? Absolutely. Will they be able to? That's another matter. It seemed a foregone conclusion that he would leave on a free transfer for Paris Saint-Germain - reports earlier this month suggested a deal was agreed - but that move seems to have hit a snag. Can the 29-year-old be convinced to stay?

Nemanja Matic: He was never the quickest player, but in recent years the languid midfielder has gone from calm and composed to glacial. He still reads the game well, but on a team that wants to press high up the pitch and thus leave the defensive midfielder with tons of ground to cover, Matic lacks the necessary physical tools.

Scott McTominay: The Scottish midfielder, 22, has gone from a pawn under Jose Mourinho - used mainly to ostracize Pogba from the XI - to a legitimately exciting prospect. United may have actually stumbled into unearthing a quality player here.

Forwards

Alexis Sanchez: He used to be great. Honest. The once electrifying Chilean, who often carried Arsenal on his back during his time in north London, has fallen off a cliff since moving to Old Trafford. Now on the wrong side of 30 and collecting enormous wages, the Red Devils need to figure out a way to rid themselves of Sanchez and his contract. Could China come calling?

Romelu Lukaku: He keeps making googly eyes at Serie A, but unless United can recoup a large portion of the initial £75-million fee they paid Everton to acquire the Belgian forward, they're probably better off retaining his services as a primary scoring option off the bench.

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Marcus Rashford: This is the biggest no-brainer on the list. Losing the 21-year-old attacker would be a nightmare.

Anthony Martial: The Frenchman has all the skills necessary to be a star. If given enough time to forge an understanding with Rashford up front, the two could easily develop into a devastating attacking duo.

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