Fred among 3 Manchester United stars likely to leave Old Trafford in coming weeks - Reports

Fred, Dean Henderson and Anthony Elanga could leave Manchester United in the next few weeks, according to talkSPORT (as quoted by @UtdDistrict on Twitter).

The Red Devils look set to make some changes to their squad this summer after a relatively successful first season under Erik ten Hag. United finished third in the Premier League, won the Carabao Cup and made the FA Cup final, where they lost to treble winners Manchester City.

However, the team's results fluctuated due to the sheer number of matches they played and the lack of reliable options from the bench.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Manchester United have been linked with a number of signings to improve their first XI and squad. Mason Mount has arrived from Chelsea, while they are rumored to be working on deals for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana and Atalanta BC striker Rasmus Hojlund.

However, after splashing £208 million on new players last season, they are bound by Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules that have restricted their spending this summer. To avoid breaching those rules, United will have to sell players.

Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are the primary names to have been linked with an exit. However, there are no concrete reports on either front and it seems Fred, Elanga and Henderson are likely to depart earlier than Maguire or McTominay.

According to Team Talk, AS Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, are interested in Fred. The Brazilian was one of Mourinho's signings during the latter's time at Manchester United. Fulham are also rumored to be interested in the midfielder.

Meanwhile, journalist Graeme Bailey recently told the "Talking Transfers" podcast that Nottingham Forest are set to sign Henderson. The Englishman notably spent last season on loan at Forest.

Lastly, Elanga has been linked with both Galatasaray and RB Leipzig by varying sources.

---

Fred and Anthony Elanga struggled for playing time at Manchester United last season

Fred was expected to lose out on some playing time with Erik ten Hag's arrival and that largely turned out to be the case last season.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk started just 23 matches across competitions, largely operating off the bench to rack up 56 overall appearances. He recorded a commendable six goals and six assists in those games.

Overall, Fred, 30, has played 213 times for Manchester United since arriving in 2018, scoring 14 goals and laying out 19 assists.

Anthony Elanga, meanwhile, simply couldn't break into United's XI with Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho ahead of him in the pecking order. Elanga featured only 26 times across competitions, starting just seven times, and failed to score a goal.

Dean Henderson, meanwhile, expressed his frustration with how the 2021-22 season went for him in an interview last summer. Henderson stated that he had received promises that he would start, but did not get it, which led to him asking to be loaned out even before pre-season began.

He joined Nottingham Forest, where he featured in 18 Premier League matches and kept six clean sheets. A thigh injury then ruled him out of the second half of the season, with Keylor Navas taking over between the posts.

Henderson's current contract with Manchester United expires in 2025. Elanga's deal runs until 2026, while Fred will become a free agent next summer.