Manchester United season ratings: Our player-by-player verdict on who should stay and who should go

Manchester United’s rollercoaster of a season culminated in a third semi final defeat on Sunday when they exited the Europa League at the hands of Sevilla. A top three finish, which had seemed implausible back in late October with the team languishing in 14th position, seven points adrift of the top four, averted the threat of a second successive year with Champions League football but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under no illusions about the work ahead of him. Telegraph Sport assesses how each member of Solskjaer’s squad performed - and whether they should stay or go.

David De Gea 5

The Spaniard’s form had done little to justify the £375,000 a week four-year contract United handed him last September and the problems have continued since with a series of high-profile errors. The lapses of concentration aside, there are questions over whether the goalkeeper is good enough with the ball at his feet for a team with real designs on building from the back. Faces a challenge from Dean Henderson for the No. 1 spot next season.

Keep or sell? De Gea’s whopping contract ensures United are stuck with him regardless so it’s a keep but a big next 12 months are in store.

Sergio Romero 7

Unhappy at being dropped for the semi-finals defeats to Chelsea and Sevilla in the FA Cup and Europa League respectively despite being Solskjaer’s go to man in both competitions up until that point, the Argentine may feel it is time to move on in the knowledge he is not going to usurp De Gea. A proud record of 39 clean sheets in 61 games and a wealth of experience at international level ensure there will be plenty of takers.

Keep or sell? Sell, assuming Henderson is not loaned again. Solskjaer cannot have De Gea, Romero and Henderson in his squad next season and seems poised to give the latter of that trio his chance.

Aaron Wan Bissaka 7

The former England Under-21 right back did not come cheap - £50 million was a hefty pricetag for a youngster with 46 Premier League appearances to his name - but he was one of United’s most consistent performer and showed signs of improving his attacking play during the second half of the season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Diogo Dalot 3

So much for Jose Mourinho claiming the Portuguese would be United’s right back for the next 10 years. Solskjaer took a look at Dalot and established pretty early on that he was not for him but the extent to which he has been marginalised is still a shock.

Keep or sell? Sell, so long as they get a decent price

Timothy Fosu-Mensah 3

Missed the majority of the campaign as he worked his way back from a ruptured cruciate he suffered in April last year but the Dutchman looks some way short of the standard required. One year left on his contract.

Keep or sell? If Dalot goes, keep as cover at full-back but otherwise sell or loan out

Harry Maguire 8

Maguire’s £85m pricetag will always be a stick with which his critics like to beat him but ask yourself what this United defence would look like without him anchoring it? Not too pretty, is it? Indeed, there is good reason why Solskjaer never drops him. Handed the captaincy and has become the manager’s most indispensable player alongside Bruno Fernandes. It’s been telling since lockdown with no crowds at games just how vocal Maguire is at the back. He would benefit enormously from a fast, quality centre-half alongside him.

Keep or sell? Keep, clearly

Victor Lindelof 6

After two seasons of ever changing central defensive partners, Lindelof at last had a consistent presence alongside him but he has not kicked on in the way Solskjaer would have hoped and it is understandable the manager is in the market for an upgrade. The scrutiny on Maguire often draws attention away from the Swede, who would be an able first back-up but lacks the aggression and nous demanded of a top central defender.

Keep or sell? Keep

Chris Smalling 8 (on loan at Roma)

Burnished his reputation after a fine season in Italy with Roma, who want him back and are among an array of suitors. Solskjaer has been told he needs to offload centre-halves before he can sign another - United already have seven on their books, a measure of the mess they have made of things in that position - and Smalling is probably the most saleable asset of the lot. Now 30, Smalling wants regular football and is not interested in being a back-up although there is a strong argument to say he would be a better partner for Maguire than Lindelof. He offers height, physicality, pace and, as a pure defender, he is talented but has Solskjaer moved on?

Keep or sell? A tough one. If Smalling and others can be sold and the money reinvested in a new signings, United should sell but they could do a lot worse than keep him.

Eric Bailly 5

Like Smalling, in pure defensive terms, he can be formidable but he is injury prone, rash and often guilty of frequent rushes of blood to the head that can make him a danger to himself and opponents. If he can stay fit, there is probably a player in there with the right coaching but will be ever be one of those who is available every week to enable Solskjaer to find out?

Keep or sell? Keep for now

Phil Jones 3

Jones should look to Jonny Evans as an example of what a fresh start can do for a player because there can be little doubt the England defender is in need of new surrounds. Seldom fit and invariably on the back foot, under immediate scrutiny and fighting an uphill battle for form and recognition when he is available, it would be in everybody’s best interests if Jones moved on. A honest, passionate professional, he does not deserve the ridicule that frequently comes his way on social media but a move away from the intense Old Trafford spotlight could help with that.

Keep or sell? Sell

Marcos Rojo 3

Much like the four-and-a-half year deal awarded to Jones in February last year, United’s decision to hand Rojo a three year contract in 2018 remains one of the more unfathomable episodes in recent Old Trafford history. A strange, impulse signing by Louis van Gaal, Rojo never seemed the right fit - either in personality or playing terms - and he spent the second half of last season on loan back in Argentina where he ended up being reprimanded by United for breaching lockdown rules. His departure cannot come soon enough.

Keep or sell? Sell, and if they cannot do that, give him away

Axel Tuanzebe 4

A huge disappointment. Solskjaer had earmarked Tuanzebe as the first choice back-up to Maguire and Lindelof - so No. 3 in the pecking order - but a plethora of injuries put paid to that idea. He may have to toughen up if he wants to succeed at Old Trafford.

Keep or sell? Keep but the 22-year-old badly needs football so a loan to a Premier League club would be the smart option.

Luke Shaw 7

There is a section of United’s fan base that seem to have taken against the left-back but, until an ankle injury ended his season prematurely in the middle of last month, he had become an ever present and seen off the threat of Williams. There are certainly more pressing positions than his to address in this squad and Solskjaer will be desperate to have him ready for the start of the season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Brandon Williams 7

It has been a meteoric rise for the 19-year-old since making his first team debut in the League Cup against Rochdale in late September. He went on to make another 35 appearances, surpassing most expectations in the process, although there is a danger of him being considered ahead of where he actually he is. There is a lot of improving and maturing to do and there have been games that have looked a step too far but he has become the first choice back-up to Wan-Bissaka and Shaw and often a starter.

Keep or sell? Keep

Nemanja Matic 6

The Serb seemed all set to leave United in January until a midfield injury crisis forced a reappraisal and he has since gone on to sign a new three-year contract with the club which, even accounting for an upturn in form after lockdown, felt excessive. Matic is 32 and, while he remains United’s most natural holding midfielder, his mobility is still reduced and it would be too much to expect him to play most games next season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Fred 6

After a torrid debut season, there were plenty of eyes on United’s £52m Brazilian but, when Solskjaer needed him most in the absence of injuries to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay and before the arrival of Fernandes, he stepped up. Lockdown came at a bad time for him personally. He lost his place and the momentum and fitness he had built up and, while he equipped himself fairly well against Sevilla, doubts about his long-term suitability persist.

Keep or sell? Keep, for now

Scott McTominay 6

A strange season in many respects. For a good while, McTominay looked like one of the most trusted members of Solskjaer’s side and the thought of a United midfield without him was disconcerting but injury robbed him of two months from late December and he barely got a look in after the restart, despite signing a new contract in June. One of the good eggs and natural born winners and leaders in United’s squad, Solskjaer needs to handle his development carefully over the next season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Paul Pogba 5

Whatever you say about Pogba is likely to divide opinion sharply but it is not unreasonable to expect so much more from United’s record £89m signing. After the endless debate about his future, the Covid-19 crisis effectively priced the Frenchman out of a move and he seems more likely to sign a new contract now than leave any time soon. Whether he deserves one is another matter. Pogba at his best is hard to handle but he is guilty of drifting through far too many games. Now 27 and a World Cup winner, when is he really going to step up and take the responsibility you would hope and expect of such a talent? One goal in 22 appearances was a pitiful return.

Keep or sell? Keep, at least until they can get a substantial fee for him

Bruno Fernandes 9

Fernandes has been keen to downplay the comparisons to Eric Cantona in terms of instant impact at Old Trafford but his £47m arrival from Sporting Lisbon in late January had a transformative effect on the team’s form, belief, morale and outlook. The Portugal midfielder has scored 12 goals and claimed eight assists in 22 games for United and proven to be a penalty specialist. Only Robert Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski (28) and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (27) have had a hand in more goals over that period. Fernandes has raised standards and fans will doubtless have been pleased to see him taking Victor Lindelof to task over Sevilla’s second goal but the problems will come when Solskjaer has to give his playmaker a rest or the Portuguese succumbs to injury. Who else do United have who can fill that role?

Keep or sell? Do you even need to ask?

Jesse Lingard 4

Lingard admitted last month he felt “lost as a player and player” after an annus horribilis and it remains to be seen what the future holds for the forward. There is this misnomer about him being young - he will before 28 before the year end and, if he does stay, he really needs to step it up considerably.

Keep or sell? Sell if the right offer comes in, although, without a replacement, United would be left short

Juan Mata 5

Mata does not play much these days but, a consummate professional, experienced head and voice of reason, it is entirely understandable why Solskjaer wants him around the squad. When he does feature, though, he looks much more effective in the hole with pace and movement around him. It is certainly hard to escape the feeling that he has been misused for much of his United career. This may be his last season. He is contracted until next summer, although United have an option to extend by another year.

Keep or sell? Keep for another year

Andreas Pereiera 3

We have got a much clearer indication of where Pereira sits in Solskjaer’s plans this year having been cast aside since Fernandes’ arrival. The Brazilian has played just 62 minutes of football for United since lockdown, having played far too much before Christmas despite his limitations at this level. Time to move on.

Keep or sell? Sell

Anthony Martial 8

Finished the season with a career best 23 goals, despite missing two months through injury earlier in the season, and has shown signs of developing into a real No. 9, even if he is not yet at that top level. The Frenchman has looked hungrier and more committed than ever but he will need to kick on again next season because the debate about United still needing a world class centre forward is not going away.

Keep or sell? Keep

Marcus Rashford 7

United’s best player from late October until mid-January, when he finally succumbed to a double stress fracture in his back. The England striker scored 17 goals for club and country during that period and, at times, was irresistible but he managed just three goals in 13 appearances after lockdown and was some way short of his best. The seriousness of his injury may have had something to do with that and perhaps Rashford has, at times, been a little too desperate to impress given the way his fight against food poverty raised his profile. Twenty two goals was still his best return in United colours, though, and Solskjaer will hope he reaches another level next season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Mason Greenwood 8

The 18-year-old surpassed George Best, Wayne Rooney and Brian Kidd as the only teenager to hit 18 goals in a single season in United’s history and would appear to have the world at his feet. Completely two-footed, he is a nightmare for defenders to read and has that capacity to take his shots early and generate enormous power with minimal backlift. Confidence does not seem to be a problem, either. A mature, level-headed footballer for one so young. Used predominantly on the right of the attack by Solskjaer, he may face a challenge to his position from Jadon Sancho next season should the England winger join from Borussia Dortmund but that is not to say he would not be used centrally more often and could even displace Martial or Rashford.

Keep or sell? Keep, keep, keep

Daniel James 6

Signed from Swansea for an initial £15m, James was thrown in at the deep end and equipped himself well, which was all the more impressive given that he lost his dad last year. The emotional trauma of that on top of a high profile move would have been a lot for anyone, let alone a youngster, to deal with. Solskjaer will be the first to admit that he used James more than he would have wanted to but, as the manager’s options in attack have increased, the Wales winger has found himself on the periphery. Possesses bags of pace and enthusiasm but he remains very raw and in need of a lot of coaching. Solskjaer will hope he can start to make a regular impact from the bench next season.

Keep or sell? Keep

Odion Ighalo 6

Eyebrows were raised by United’s decision to bring in the veteran former Watford striker on loan from Shanghai Shenhua on deadline day in January but Solskjaer needed another body in attack with Rashford injured. Ighalo started well with five goals in his first 11 appearances, many from the bench, and has since had his loan extended until January but he has faded of late and remains little more than a temporary stop gap.

Keep or sell? Keep, until loan expires