Man Utd told to brutally axe £55m star with SIX summer signings demanded – ‘they have to’

Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has told his former club to cash in on Mason Mount , while he has called for six summer signings.

The Chelsea academy product joined Man Utd from their Premier League rivals in 2023 for around £55m, but he has failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.

It was initially felt that this transfer could have been a major coup, but Mount has been derailed by injuries over the past few seasons and has only been a bit-part player for the Red Devils.

The 2025/26 campaign has arguably been the 27-year-old’s best season for Man Utd to date, but he has still struggled with injuries and has not started in the Premier League this year.

There will be major upheaval at Man Utd in the summer and Butt has explained why his former side “have to” offload Mount.

In an interview with Paddy Power, Butt said: “He’s a fantastic footballer, I’m a big fan of him when he’s fit.

“On his day, he’s a real top, top footballer and one that would suit Man United’s way of playing.

“I love him when he’s playing well and he was brilliant when he played at Chelsea. But he’s just not fit.

“He’s been there nearly three years, I find it hard having to pop at people who have been injured. But when you look at what’s the input – £55 million – and what’s the output, especially when it comes to renewing contracts. You can’t keep these lads.

“You’ve just got to move them on. It’s sad but they have to. United need players that they can rely on, especially at the moment.”

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The potential sale of Mount would go against the wishes of interim boss Michael Carrick , but it may be needed to raise funds for United’s summer business.

United are known to be prioritising a midfield revamp in the summer and we have revealed that a Leeds United star has been added to their list of targets as a shock option.

Butt does think that the Red Devils need to recruit “two” new midfielders, but he has called for a total of six signings to ease their “biggest issue” heading into next season.

“The biggest issue next season is they will be in Europe, no doubt about it,” Butt added.

“The big picture is the recruitment. They’ve got a massive job.

“If you’re looking to try and get straight back into competing in the Champions League, to get into the late stages of the FA Cup and then challenge for the Premier League, they need a lot.

“Two centre backs, two centre midfielders, a top centre forward and maybe even a right back.

“It doesn’t matter if they give Michael the job, even if they got Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, they still need to get the recruitment right or they’re going to fail.”