Manchester United has officially announced that six players will be departing the club this summer as free agents, following the expiration of their contracts.
With their contracts now expired, these players are now available for free transfers.
Manchester United stadium, Old Trafford. Source: Club Website[/figure]While three of the departing players have primarily featured in youth and academy teams, the remaining three have had notable roles within the first team setup at some point.
According to reports, the club's coach, Erik ten Hag, has given his approval for Phil Jones, David de Gea, and Axel Tuanzebe to leave.
The other players departing are Ethan Galbraith, Charlie Wellens, and Di'Shon Bernard. Of particular interest is the situation surrounding De Gea, with former United star Rio Ferdinand expressing his disappointment over the handling of the Spanish goalkeeper's future.
De Gea's previous contract included a one-year extension clause, which United decided not to activate due to concerns over his hefty weekly wages of £375,000.
De Gea, who coincidentally becomes a free agent on his wedding day, may still remain with United as the club has made an offer and intends to continue negotiations with the 32-year-old.
Erik ten Hag with Manchester United players. Source: Getty[/figure]Jones, now 31, joined United from Blackburn in 2011 but faced significant challenges with injuries during his time at the club. He departs with 229 appearances to his name, having managed to make over 20 Premier League appearances in just four of his 12 seasons at Old Trafford.
Academy graduate Tuanzebe also bids farewell to his childhood team after making 37 appearances for Manchester United.
22-year-old midfielder Ethan Galbraith, along with 20-year-old right-back Charlie Wellens and 22-year-old centre-back Di'Shon Bernard, have all been released by the club.
Among the young trio, both Galbraith and Bernard made a solitary appearance for the senior team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a Europa League match against Astana in November 2019.
These players, now released by Manchester United, will now seek opportunities with other clubs as free agents.