Although some clubs have had what might be termed as a 'fire sale' of players over the course of previous transfer windows, scarcely can any have even come close to the reaction of the Manchester United board in the wake of their Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
As damning and damaging as that defeat was - United won't play any European football next season - a period of reflection would surely have been the preferred course of action.
Ruben Amorim in reflective mood at the end of the 2025 Europa League finalMark Pain / Alamy / Profimedia
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team have never really been a board to do things by the book, however.
Deciding they would keep Erik ten Hag and then sacking him shortly after, waiting months for Dan Ashworth to join as sporting director then sacking him shortly after, raising ticket prices for home matches and making mass redundancies are just a few of the unpopular decisions that have been made since the partial takeover of this storied football institution.
Sir Jim wants entire Man United squad transfer listed
All of those pale into comparison with Sir Jim's latest gambit, however, after it was reported that, in the wake of the Spurs defeat, he was putting the entire first-team squad up for sale.
Anyone believing that it was just a knee-jerk reaction to a disappointing night's work seems to be sadly mistaken, and the issue facing Ruben Amorim now is just who will be populating his squad next season.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe consoles Ruben AmorimMark Pain / Alamy / Profimedia
It would appear to be a foregone conclusion that goalkeeper Andre Onana will be one of the first to go.
Brought in by Ten Hag, the 28-year-old has rarely covered himself in glory between the posts for the Red Devils.
Onana likely to be one of the first to depart
His sweeping accuracy - something he was brought in specifically to address - has been at 100% during the 2024/25 Premier League season, so there's nothing to admonish him for in this respect.
Where he's let himself down considerably is with his inability to save even the most harmless of shots.
Andre Onana stats from the 2025 Europa League finalOpta by Stats Perform
Indeed, a show reel of some of his mistakes since taking over from David de Gea would make a hugely embarrassing watch.
A woeful 66.9% of the shots in his direction have been saved, and that's clearly not good enough for a club of United's stature.
Leny Yoro was being touted as a generational talent
Defensively, Luke Shaw's injury record hasn't helped him to try and recover his best form, and even if one can accept that his fellow England international, Harry Maguire, has re-established himself as a centre-back of note, he really isn't the right fit for Amorim's style of play.
Yoro was talked up as a generational talent before United pounced, but expectations have weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Leny Yoro of Manchester United with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Final 2025Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez / Alamy / Profimedia
In the 33 games he's played (22 as a starter), he's made just 46 tackles. Of those, he's lost more (24) than he's won (22). The team also managed just one clean sheet in the Premier League and one in the Europa League with him on the pitch.
Thirty headed clearances are reasonable enough as is a 92.5% passing accuracy, however, the youngster needs to give more if he wants to be seen in the Rio Ferdinand mould.
Dorgu has been a huge disappointment
Patrick Dorgu is another young player to come into the club and not really hit the ground running. In fact, you could say he's been a huge disappointment.
He started 18 of 20 games during 2024/25 but made only 31 tackles during that time.
Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu shoots at goal during the game against Aston VillaEvery Second Media, Every Second Media / Alamy / Profimedia
A pass completion of 86.1% isn't actually the worst, though the player was also brought in to be able to beat his man and get crosses into the box, which he's not doing at this point.
Although not his primary job, he's yet to score or assist either, and has had only two shots on target. Not great is it?!
Casemiro and Bruno - too expensive?
In central midfield, Casemiro seems to have hung around for an age, one suspects because no one will pay his reported £350,000 salary. The Brazilian is becoming a liability and for both of those reasons, he's one player that the club have to get off their books now.
On the flip side, Bruno Fernandes should be retained at all costs. He is the heartbeat of this United side.
Nineteen goals and 18 assists put him at the top of the tree in both instances, and his 81.5% pass completion is decent enough, though he could do with a little improvement.
Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro participate in official training at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,Anggara/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
He recovered the ball an astonishing 213 times in 24/25, and also won 78 of the 126 tackles he attempted. 37 headed clearances hint at his all-round effectiveness in an under-performing United side.
Though he'll baulk at the suggestion, the Portuguese is this generation's Roy Keane. He might not have the same spiky and tigerish attitude as Keane, however, he is the one player that the Red Devils can rely upon to come up with a moment of magic.
He never stops running or looking for an opening or opportunity, and whilst he'll be 31 just after the start of the new season, that's not an excuse to let some other outfit be the beneficiary of his services.
Garnacho can feel rightly aggrieved by Europa League snub
Noussair Mazraoui is a Ten Hag capture who, realistically, has had 'moments' and nothing more in the red shirt. Energy up and down the channels is a prerequisite for a club that prides itself on setting the standard.
Looking further up the pitch, Alejandro Garnacho can feel rightly aggrieved at being left out of the Europa League final, and it would seem the young Argentinian has already been told to find a new club.
That's an odd position for the Red Devils to take, given that he's probably the only player in the team who gets the crowd excited when he's on the ball.
Alejandro Garnacho has apparently been told to look for a new club by Ruben AmorimČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Conor Molloy
Eleven goals and 10 assists are the best return in the squad bar Fernandes, 30 of his 55 shots have been on target, and his 85.7% pass accuracy is impressive when one considers the pace at which he usually operates.
Unless the club have a better winger in mind, and of which there are relatively few, then losing Garnacho would appear to be another huge mistake, ditto Amad Diallo, who has been another bright spot in amongst the gloom.
No question that Zirkzee and Hojlund must go
Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund will need to be moved on, no question.
The pair of front men have managed only 17 goals and four assists between them in all competitions, and their lack of pace and movement up front is amateur at best.
Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have just 17 goals between themAlter Photos / ddp USA / Profimedia
Hojlund's shot conversion rate in the Premier League, for example, is just 12.5%. Only 13 shots on target in 24/25 tells its own story.
If it were possible, Zirkzee's output is even worse. The Dutchman scores only 10.7% of the time, can often be seen running around like a headless chicken and has a terrible pass completion rate of 69% in his area of the pitch.
Transfer values have plummeted
One of the issues that the club will have to consider, too, of course, is that, given that 24/25 was such an awful campaign, the values of all the aforementioned, as well as the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and others, will have significantly plummeted.
Let's not forget, too, that the futures of Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Jadon Sancho have still to be sorted out and could create further problems down the line.
Manchester United's Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo could soon find themselves looking for a new clubAction Foto Sport/NurPhoto/Shutt / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Jonny Evans is retiring and Christian Eriksen is already known to be leaving, so some positions might be easier to fill than others, albeit a significant cash injection will be required from the board for Amorim to be able to bring in the players he wants.
If Sir Jim thinks that a fire sale will bankroll that for the most part, he could be in for a shock and, ultimately, it's yet another debacle from a board that are fast becoming an unwelcome addition.
Jason PettigroveFlashscore