Manchester United are open to offers for Casemiro, Raphaël Varane, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek in January, though Erik ten Hag will not countenance any sale if it weakens his squad.

The manager is not intent on pushing any player out and United do not anticipate a busy month. But financial fair play rules mean there is the need to generate funds in order to strengthen, so the club will listen to any prospective bidders.

Casemiro and Varane may be of particular interest owing to their experience and highly successful careers but their salaries and age – the midfielder and defender each earn more than £300,000 a week and are in their 30s – represent potential sticking points. Sancho is available because of a refusal to apologise to Ten Hag for questioning the manager’s explanation for leaving him out of the matchday squad for the defeat at Arsenal in early September. The forward – a £73m signing from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021 – also earns more than £300,000 a week but, at 23, he is a more attractive long-term investment.

Martial’s eight-year United career has disappointed but the 28-year-old striker may be reluctant to depart in January given that he can leave as a free agent in the summer. Van de Beek moved to United from Ajax in September 2020 for a reported £35m but the 26-year-old midfielder has never established himself in the first team.