Do players thrive after Man Utd or were club right to move them on?

Scott McTominay - Serie A victor pinch Napoli. Jadon Sancho - Conference League victor pinch Chelsea. Dean Henderson - FA Cup victor pinch Crystal Palace.

There was a clip erstwhile leaving Manchester United was viewed arsenic nan commencement of a slow diminution successful a player's career.

Is that still nan case?

Wednesday's Conference League last saw 2 players, presently contracted to United, connected other sides successful nan style of Sancho, who has spent nan play connected indebtedness astatine Chelsea, and Brazil winger Antony, who joined Real Betis connected a impermanent ground successful January.

While United's bosses transportation retired an inquest into a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, Sancho ends nan play pinch a European winners' badge aft Chelsea's 4-1 victory successful Wroclaw, Poland.

In addition, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian - who person some spent clip astatine United successful caller years - could characteristic for Inter Milan erstwhile they look Paris St-Germain successful Saturday's Champions Final successful Munich.

So, does leaving Manchester United thief revive your profession fixed Sancho, Antony, and McTominay person each done good distant from Old Trafford?

It is not that agelong agone that McTominay was a bit-part subordinate astatine United - starting matches connected nan substitutes bench.

Last summertime nan Scotland midfielder wanted a alteration of scenery - and United wanted money to thief them fresh successful pinch nan Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The Lancaster-born subordinate had been pinch United for complete 20 years - first attending a shot schoolhouse astatine nan nine aged 5 - but made nan bold determination to commencement again successful Italy.

A interest of £25.7m looks an absolute bargain now.

No wonderment his erstwhile leader astatine Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, recently told BBC Sport, "how you tin waste Scott is beyond me".

McTominay's crippled stats person improved successful almost each areas since he near Old Trafford to nexus up pinch erstwhile United team-mate Romelu Lukaku astatine Napoli.

He scored 13 times and provided 4 assists successful 2,972 minutes connected nan transportation successful 2024-25 compared to 10 goals and 3 assists successful 2,772 minutes astatine United nan erstwhile season.

His passing accuracy has accrued from 82.7% to 85%, while nan chances he has created per crippled has besides improved on pinch touches successful nan guidance box.

Former Scotland midfielder Paul Lambert told BBC Sport moving to Italy had been nan making of McTominay.

"Leaving Manchester United... there's a cognition that British shot is nan be-all-and-end-all," said Lambert, who won nan Champions League arsenic a subordinate pinch Borussia Dortmund successful 1997.

"It's not. Playing European shot brings players connected quicker. It makes you turn up quicker."

Then-United leader Erik 10 Hag did not want to do nan woody pinch Napoli for McTominay, according to BBC Sport main shot news newsman Simon Stone.

"From a Manchester United perspective, you really request to look beyond nan deals themselves, understand why they happened - and attraction successful connected nan existent issues," said Stone.

"The glaring 1 is Scott McTominay. Former leader Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told maine successful Istanbul earlier this period that he could not get his caput information why nan Scotland world was sold.

"The rationale was simple. While Erik 10 Hag didn't want to do nan woody pinch Napoli, it was nan only measurement to make costs nether PSR to bring successful Manuel Ugarte.

"The mentation was solid, nan execution was incorrect because Ugarte has not delivered what was anticipated."

Other examples of players flourishing distant from Old Trafford see Antony.

The Brazil winger managed 5 goals successful 62 Premier League appearances aft joining United for £81.3m successful 2022, earlier moving to Spain to motion for Real Betis successful January aft struggling for first-team opportunities.

Antony has since managed 9 goals - 5 successful La Liga and 4 successful Europe - and is loving life again, contempt finishing pinch a runners-up badge successful nan Conference League final.

"We saw a very acold feline astatine Manchester United, since Antony has gone to Betis and things person been working, we've seen him cry, we've spot him laughter and Betis fans emotion that," said Spanish shot journalist Guillem Balague.

Will Antony backmost astatine Old Trafford adjacent season? Well, he remains nether statement astatine United until 2027 though a imperishable move to Betis could suit some parties.

"In Antony's case, location is not a azygous United instrumentality who would reason nan Brazilian should person been fixed much time," said Stone.

"The rumor pinch Antony was nan ridiculous interest paid for him."

Henderson, who recovered himself down David de Gea successful nan pecking order, has besides seen his profession footwear connected since joining Palace successful a £20m woody successful August 2023 having been pinch United since nan property of 14.

In nan past 12 months he has made his first England commencement and helped present Palace a first awesome trophy aft he saved Omar Marmoush's punishment successful nan 1-0 triumph complete Manchester City successful nan FA Cup final.

While United person nary European shot to look guardant to, Henderson will beryllium playing successful nan Europa League adjacent season.

And what astir Anthony Elanga?

Like Henderson, he excessively will beryllium playing connected nan continental shape pinch Nottingham Forest, whose seventh-placed decorativeness has earned them a spot successful nan Conference League.

Sweden guardant Elanga, who costs Forest conscionable £15m from United successful 2023, provided 11 Premier League assists and chipped successful pinch a further six goals successful 2024-25.

He had been pinch United since he was 12 and achieved a first-team breakthrough successful 2021, reaching 55 appearances earlier Forest stepped successful aft Ten Hag decided Elanga did not person nan quality needed to beryllium capable of an power connected his squad.

De Gea, a Premier League champion pinch United successful 2012-13, will besides beryllium playing successful nan Conference League adjacent play aft helping Fiorentina decorativeness sixth successful Serie A.

Of course, location are plentifulness of caller examples of players' careers going backwards since leaving United.

In 2016, United paid a then-world grounds £89m to motion Paul Pogba from Juventus.

He near successful 2022 and nan World Cup victor pinch France successful 2018 is presently without a nine aft he was fixed a four-year prohibition successful February 2024 for a doping offence - but successful October that was reduced to 18 months.

Anthony Martial, who near successful 2024, is now playing successful Greece for AEK Athens, while Jesse Lingaard is contracted to FC Seoul successful South Korea.

Midfielder Donny van de Beek, who costs £35m successful 2020, is playing successful Spain for Girona, who person conscionable vanished 16th successful La Liga.

There are respective players expected to time off United this summertime arsenic Ruben Amorim attempts to stamp his people connected nan squad and bring successful his ain signings aft taking complaint past November.

Among those apt to depart is Marcus Rashford, who has been connected indebtedness astatine Aston Villa and accepts he will not play for United again while Amorim remains successful charge.

In addition, nan United leader has told winger Alejandro Garnacho he will beryllium allowed to subordinate a caller nine this summer.

Will Garnacho and Rashford, a two-time FA Cup victor and Europa League winner, thrive elsewhere?

Those who watch United regularly judge Garnacho, who is still only 20, has not been helped by nan unit brought astir by nan deficiency of acquisition successful nan United team.

They constituent retired that erstwhile Cristiano Ronaldo was 20, and not astatine his accordant best, he had nan likes of Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes astir him, whereas Garnacho has struggled aft being thrown successful astatine nan heavy end.

In addition, nan early of Sancho - who initially near following a conflict pinch Ten Hag - remains unclear contempt scoring for Chelsea successful a European last connected Wednesday.

Will he commencement adjacent play astatine Chelsea - aliases return to United?

"Like Antony, Sancho has had a decent play astatine Chelsea," said Stone.

"But if he had been that good, nan Blues would not moreover beryllium considering paying £5m to nonstop him backmost to United.

"The rumor pinch these deals is not what nan players person done astatine their respective clubs, it is nan shape of nan group United replaced them with."