Man Utd players set to be released to address £30m problem

Manchester United are reportedly set to address their expensive goalkeeping situation by releasing several players this summer.

The Red Devils are currently spending £575k-per-week on their senior goalkeeping ranks this term, a figure which is increased to around £600k-per-week when factoring in the Under-23s squad.

That adds up to a massive outlay of over £30million over the course of 12 months, less than they are currently spending on strikers.

According to the Manchester Evening News, that is set to change with at least three shot-stoppers set to head out the door for free when their contacts expire this summer.

Sergio Romero, who has been relegated to fifth-string this season behind David de Gea, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant and Nathan Bishop, will leave for free having failed to manufacture a January transfer.

Joel Pereira is also set to leave when his contract runs out having played just once for Huddersfield during a loan spell.

The experienced Lee Grant is unlikely to have his playing contract extended, although he could be kept around and move into a coaching role which could involve him being available if required.

Under-23 goalkeeper Paul Woolston is also set to be left go after two-and-a-half years with the side having been overtaken by the emergence of Nathan Bishop since his arrival from Southend last year.

Those outgoings will go some way to trimming their problematic wage bill for goalkeepers.

But David de Gea remains the club’s highest earner on £300,000-a-week whilst he battles with highly-rated academy graduate Henderson, 23, who signed a new five-year deal worth £100,000 a week last summer.

Back in September, Solskjaer discussed the high levels of training from his goalkeepers and stated it had been “fantastic to watch”.

And the battle between De Gea and Henderson for the No.1 spot will continue for some time yet.

“The training, goalkeeper training, has been fantastic to watch, so enjoyable,” said the Norwegian. “It's the highest possible quality you can imagine.

"I know the goalkeeping coaches are really enjoying working with them and watching when going into the games, some of the stuff they do. Some of the stuff is fantastic.

"It's going to be an interesting, interesting thing for many to follow.

“It's great to see [Spain coach] Luis Enrique talk about David the way he did after his internationals. Coaches who work with players, they've got the respect and he shows his respect when he talks about it'll be nice if the press suddenly wrote what a great goalkeeper we have.

“And it'd be great if you, the press, wrote good things about them two and they're working well together at the moment.”

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