Darren Bent has advised Manchester United to replace nine players in the summer and says the club are ‘miles away’ from winning the Premier League.
United’s defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier in the week ensured they will go a fifth consecutive season without winning a trophy.
A drought such as that would have been unthinkable under Sir Alex Ferguson, who led United to 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups.
Former England striker Bent expects the Red devils to go through a rebuild at the end of the campaign and has named nine first-team players who he believes should be offloaded.
He told talkSPORT: ‘The ones you keep are [David] de Gea, you keep [Raphael] Varane. You need a new right-back, I think.
‘I don’t think Scott] McTominay is good enough but he’s own of your own. Building-wise? Nope.
‘I think Fred is a weird one because you have to say he’s been one in the last few weeks who has gone, “You know what? I’m up for this”. But I guess if you’re trying to start against and build a successful side, he might have to go.
‘You keep [Jadon] Sancho. [Cristiano] Ronaldo has got to to go. [Edinson] Cavani has got to go. [Anthony] Martial has got to go.
‘[Marcus] Rashford is the one where, if the new manager fancies him, there’s something there. If he can get that best out of him then you keep him because he’s young.
‘[Paul] Pogba is going to go anyway, he’s on a free at the end of the season. If Manchester United have got any kind of aspirations [he should go].
‘I love Pogba as a player, I really do, but Manchester United fans are becoming sick of saying, “we’re waiting for that consistency”, so he’d have to go.’
Bent also claimed Manchester United captain Harry Maguire needs to be replaced, while he said Luke Shaw is another player who could well be sold.
Asked how far away United are from challenging clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title, Bent added: ‘They are miles away. I said five years the other day but it could even be more like eight years.’
