Manchester United have released four players, which include Victor Valdes and Nick Powell, who were both out of contract.

The pair, who failed to make an impact while at Old Trafford, have not been offered new deals with United and will leave on free transfers this summer.

Powell never really managed to get it right at first-team level (Photo: Getty Images)
Powell never really managed to get it right at first-team level, suffering with injuries | Photo: Getty Images

Powell failed to live up to price tag

Powell signed from Crewe Alexandra for a fee of £6million, but in the four years he was at the Red Devils, he only managed to make nine first-team appearances.

He was sidelined with a bad injury but came back last December. He made two substitute appearances, against Wolfsburg in the Champions League and Bournemouth in the league.

The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Hull City but appeared only twice in that time, again suffering from an injury.

The 22-year-old has been capped for England Under-21s but hasn’t set the world alight in his time with the club, spending loan spells at Wigan Athletic and Leicester City too.

Values came to United with a big reputation from Barcelona (Photo: Getty Images)
Values came to United with a big reputation from Barcelona (Photo: Getty Images)

Valdes couldn’t cement place

Valdes is in a similar boat to Powell, having come with a reputation and not lived up to it, as he only managed to make two appearances in the 18 months he was in Manchester. However, the age gap is notable.

The goalkeeper signed a deal in January 2015, arriving from Barcelona as a free agent, and he made his debut in May that year, replacing David De Gea in a league game with Arsenal.

His other appearance came in the final game of that season against Hull. However, he never appeared again under Louis van Gaal.

The pair fell out and he was dropped from United’s pre-season tour to the USA, and after being told he had to find a new club, he spent the second half of last season on loan at Standard Liege.

The other two players that have been released by the Red Devils are youngsters George Dorrington and Oliver Rathbone.

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About the author
Andrew McDonnell
Sports writer based in the North-East of England, safe to say I have found my niche in sports writing and I strive to succeed with everything I do, including Vavel, both in the UK and USA. First official Writer of the week for the USA office too. Cover Manchester United, Watford, Cricket, MLS and NFL.