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West Ham United ready to sell £45 million rated defender this summer

18 August 2020 by

Manchester United have received a boost regarding their interest in West Ham United central defender Issa Diop, although that interest seemed to be last summer with little interest in the player this summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were linked to Diop last summer with the Hammers seeking £75 million for the French defender, which was a massive fee for a player that had not yet been capped by his country at senior level. The Sun has reported that the player could be available for £45 million this summer.

It is expected that United will be looking to strengthen their defence this summer as the club has been linked with Nathan Ake, who signed for Manchester City, Gabriel Magalhaes, who is linked to both Arsenal and Napoli and Pau Torres, despite links not being duplicated in the past three weeks or so. It would seem that Victor Lindelof may not be trusted by the manager long-term and could be set for a new role as a squad player at the Old Trafford club.

The 23-year-old made 35 appearances for the Hammers during the 2019/20 season, scoring three goals and one assist. It was suggested that Solskjaer was seeking a left-footed player in the centre of defence this summer, with Diop being right-footed, possibly not the player that United need right now. Diop signed for the Hammers in the summer of 2018 and has a contract that expires in the summer of 2023, meaning the club will be able to decide the transfer fee for the player, agreeing that £75 million was too much.

Personally, I don’t think that United should be looking at Diop as the player to help secure United’s defence as with him during the past season, the Hammers conceded 54 goals in the Premier League alone, which is not great. Granted, that will not all be on him and he only made one error which led to a goal but United need to combative player to partner Harry Maguire that will be able to play the ball forwards and help United on the attack – that is not Diop.

Newspapers end up linking players to clubs all of the time, sometimes based on something, other times based on nothing. It is suggested that David Moyes wants to rebuild his West Ham squad this summer and requires the funds to do that. I would imagine that a club at the level of the Hammers would be seeking to keep their better players and build around them, although they might have to get rid of one good player in order to have the funds to continue their rebuild.

That said, it does not mean that United should be seeking to sign the player fo £45 million as it could be a big mistake. United spent £80 million on Maguire last summer and despite the club having a better season in terms of conceded goals, there is still work to be done. Diop might become a good player in the coming years but in terms of being ready to play in the UEFA Champions League, I am not convinced one bit. United should steer clear of this transfer option and not help West Ham rebuild by over paying for a player that clearly does not have a future at the club.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United have plans for Hannibal Mejbri but not in the first team just yet

12 August 2020 by

Manchester United U23 manager Neil Wood has confirmed that the club has plans for French midfielder Hannibal Mejbri after signing the player a year ago from principality club AS Monaco. The player will remain part of the clubs youth set up rather than be promoted to the first team. The 17-year-old impressed during his first season at the club, which was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. The player made 20 appearances for the U18s and U23s, scoring one goal and five assists.

The French midfielder arrived at United in what seemed like a high-profile transfer last summer with United paying £9.3 million, if all clauses in the contract are met. It is fair to say that the player has considerable talent and Monaco will have been upset to let the player leave the club. In the future he could become one of the best players in the world providing he keeps his development heading in the right direction. United would not have spent what they had on the player if they did not see his potential.

15 of Mejbri’s appearances (14 starts and one substitute appearance) came ay U18 level last season with five appearances (one start and four substitute appearances) at U23 level. It would seem that the French midfielder will be playing amongst the U23s this season after they gained promotion to the top-flight of the Premier League 2 this season after the league was suspended and promptly cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. He will probably feature in the UEFA Youth League with United back in the UEFA Champions League.

The Manchester Evening News has spoken to Neil Wood, the U23 manager about the Frenchman, seemingly looking to find out whether he will be promoted to the first team anytime soon. However, it was revealed that the club have plans for the player and they will not be making any quick decisions on the progress of the player, which could cause problems if he was promoted too early. It would seem that some see the player’s price tag and assume he’s a first team player. Wood said:

“I think what you need to remember is Hannibal is still a young lad, he is only 17. He’s not long been here really, he is probably coming up to almost a first completed season if that.

“I think people get sucked into the price-tag, and again that is not Hannibal’s fault. So I think he is a young player with potential, he is one of the young players we have got with potential, but there is still a lot of development and learning which needs to be put into him.

“We still need to get him to a higher level to get him to even go and train with the first-team, so there is no rush to start pushing him in that first-team environment right now.

“I think the challenge is going to be enough for him at U23s right now and we are going to push him and try to move him up as quick as we can, but at the same time we won’t rush him if he’s not ready to do that.”

It is good to see the club tread carefully with a player who could well be a world star in a few years time. The player will be happy to play football at U23 level, which will be good for him along with the inclusion in the UEFA Youth League, which will see the club come up against other teams who have qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season. When United see progress with the player, he may be given chances at first team level. He will be enthused to see that Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood have progressed into the first team during the 2019/20 season and should see that if he impresses the world could be his oyster.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Academy, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United enter Benoit Badiashile ‘transfer talks’ as central defender required this summer

1 August 2020 by

Manchester United have reportedly entered into negotiations with AS Monaco for 19-year-old Benoit Badiashile, who is a central defender at the club, according to reports coming from France and reported by The Mirror. It is suggested that both Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen are both interested in the French teenager who signed his last contract in December 2019 which will expire in the summer of 2024. It is suggested that United have been monitoring the teenager for some time.

Badiashile will be the third left-footed central defender to be linked to the club recently after it was alleged that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was speaking to Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake after United beat the club 5-2 in the Premier League. That talk was denied by the manager but we have seen other left-footed defenders being linked to the club from Gabriel Magalhaes, Pau Torres and now Badiashile. It might well be that United are seeking to bring in a left-footed central defender this summer.

This season, the 19-year-old made a total of 20 appearances for his club, not scoring any goals or assists. He played in Ligue 1, the Coupe de le Ligue and the Coupe de France. It is suggested that Solskjaer will be seeking to sign a long-term partner for Harry Maguire, who arrived at the Old Trafford club from Leicester City for £80 million last summer. This season, he has been partnered by Victor Lindelof for much of the season with the Sweden international floundering, apart from the last match against Maguire’s former club.

It has been reported that it would take a bid of more than €15million (£13.5million) to sign the France U91 defender from the principality club this summer as Monaco turned down a bid in that region from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. United will not want to enter into a bidding war though, which could see them pay well over the odds for the player. This is probably why the manager has earmarked a number of targets in the position, if indeed it is a position that he wants to strengthen this summer.

Personally, the defence will need to be looked at as this summer, Solskjaer could see Chris Smalling leave the club with some Italian interest in the player. Marcos Rojo reportedly wants to leave the club and Phil Jones has been used sparingly this season and is currently injured so the club should be looking to offload him, if there are any interested clubs out there wanting an injury prone defender who has not really improved in around a decade at the club.

That may sound harsh but it is true. Solskjaer will need to bring in his own players, also keeping an eye on the players coming through the club’s academy with Ethan Laird and Teden Mengi the two that might be ready to be given some first team appearances the season and beyond. It is possible that either on or both could feature in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg against LASK at Old Trafford on Wednesday, which would be good for the players and the club.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United and Manchester City in chase for French teenage Angers left-back

31 July 2020 by

Manchester United and Manchester City have reportedly made an offer for 19-year-old left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri who currently plays for French team SCO Angers. During the 2019/20 season, the teenager made a total of 17 appearances for his club, scoring no goals but assisting three times. This is the type of player that United would probably like to add to their team with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeking to play from the back, which is something the teenager currently does for his team.

The player’s current form is said to have brought him a lot of attention this summer with both United and City seeking to sign the player, the two clubs who have reportedly paid to most attention towards him. Foot Mercato has reported that both Manchester clubs have contacted the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, offering the defender a deal. It is also claimed that Mendes travelled with his client to England on Tuesday, visiting the facilities of a number of clubs, including United and City.

It is possible that Ait-Nouri could become the most expensive player in Angers’ history, which would be a good thing for the French club. Former Arsenal midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide was sold to Lyon for £28 million back in 2019 so there is a chance the 19-year-old could bring in a lot more this summer. United and City will be joined with Atletico Madrid, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Crystal Palace and AS Monaco in pursuit of the left-back.

Ait-Nouri has been at Angers since the summer of 2016, arriving at the club as a free agent from Paris FC. He signed a new contract at the club in May 2020 which will expire in the summer of 2023, meaning that his club will call all the shots this summer. Obviously, the player will be happy to see some bigger clubs interested in him and it will be considered a step up in his career. United could offer him the left-back role at the club, taking on Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams with a view of making the position his own.

City could do the same although he might only be offered a rotation option unless Benjamin Mendy is going to allow his position to be taken by the teenager. It could well be an exciting summer for the 19-year-old. He can play in three different positions, as a left-back, a left midfielder and as a left-winger. I don’t see the latter two positions being available at United though, unless it is on a rotation basis, not a permanent thing. Solskjaer will be seeking to find depth in the left-back position.

Ait-Nouri made his debut in the first team during the 2018/19n season, making three appearances for his club that season. Added to his 17 appearances and three assists this season, the player has made 20 appearances for the club in two seasons. He could have played more matches this season if it was not for the coronavirus pandemic, which suspended world football in mid-March with the French authorities cancelling both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. This could be an exciting summer for the player who could well be playing in the Premier League next season.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Paul Pogba gives a hint that Manchester United stay is likely after Champions League qualification

27 July 2020 by

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has given a hint that he will remain at the Old Trafford club after celebrating the clubs qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season. The player was subject to interest form both Real Madrid and Juventus in the past with suggestions of a summer transfer for the Frenchman but the coronavirus pandemic, then his return to the game after recovering from ankle injuries this season, added to his form and the arrival of Bruno Fernandes may have changed things.

United beat Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium in the final Premier League match of the season with Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty, which was won by Anthony Martial then Jesse Lingard scoring a late goal, which was his first of the season, in fact, his first goal since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first match as manager of the club in December 2018 after the sacking of Jose Mourinho. United will be relieved that they will be playing Champions League football next season. Pogba posted a positive tweet on Twitter celebrating the fact, which said:

“Let’s gooooooo Champions League baby.”

The 27-year-old bounced back from ankle injuries this season during the lockdown and the suspension of the domestic season, returning to training when it was safe to do so and returning to action, albeit from the bench in the first Premier League match of the restart against Tottenham Hotspur, winning a penalty with United earning a 1-1 draw in the match. It was good to see the Frenchman back in action and building his fitness up for the remainder of the season.

During the course of the season, missing 39 matches for his club, Pogba made 19 appearances in the Premier League, Carabao Cup and the Emirates FA Cup, scoring one goal and four assists. He has not played in the UEFA Europa League as yet but could do during the remainder of the season. The Frenchman may not play against LASK in the round of 16 second leg with United 5-0 up from the first leg, presumably safely through to the quarter finals of the competition.

Pogba has been in good form since coming back but towards the end of the season, the entire squad seemed tired and in need of a break they were not going to get until the job had been done. Now that it has been done and over a week before United play their first match back in the Europa League, the squad will be given sufficient rest before returning to training before the latter stages of the tournament which will be played in Germany next month.

The remainder of the season and into the next will be big for Pogba, who has been subject of speculation by The Sun with the suggestion that the player will sign a new five-year contract at the club. It seems clear that United have improved and Fernandes’ arrival is crucial to that. With the summer transfer window now open and United looking to continue their rebuild, perhaps this summer Pogba will see what United are able to do in order to raise the bar in the squad in a bid to challenge for the Premier League title and more next season.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United prepare to make transfer offer for Juventus midfielder – no thanks!

25 July 2020 by

Manchester United are reportedly one of the three Premier League clubs interested in signing Juventus midfielder Adrian Rabiot According to Calciomercato, also reported by The Sun. The 25-year-old seems to be on the move again just over a year after singing for the Old Lady, leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent and of the perception of some, under a cloud. The player just does not seem to settle at a club so what would be different if he came to the Premier League?

The French midfielder has made just 34 appearances for Juventus this season, scoring one solitary goal, playing 2,245 minute of football for Maurizio Sarri’s side, who will become the Serie A champions once again this season with a victory over Sampdoria on Sunday evening. It is suggested by the Italian news source that the club is willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old this summer, which does not look like a good sign, in my opinion at least.

This has apparently left United wondering whether to get involved in the begging with the Italian side looking for big offers for the player. It makes me wonder whether the player is actually worth it. I mean, if he was unable to make an impact at Juventus, would he really cut it as a big club? At Paris Saint-Germain, he was hardly that player that you would build a team around and spent a lot of time sulking and getting his mother, who is also his agent, to get things moving. Not a good look.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will require some reinforcement in the midfield this summer but I would personally look further afield of Rabiot. It is suggested in The Sun that potential suitors for the player could be paying in excess of £27.3 million this summer, which is a lot of money to spend on a player who does not look like he is committing to any contract that he signs with PSG the only club he stayed the length of his contract at. It is stated that both Everton and Newcastle United are intreated in the player too, perhaps he’s more their level, mid-table clubs with little ambition.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti wants a marquee signing this summer and for me, Rabiot does not suggest that but for a smaller club that just aims to remain in the Premier League each season, I guess it could well be marquee. Who am I to judge anyway? It just seems very small fry. United would be better making a move for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek, who would be a much better option. Solskjaer will know this. United don’t want whiny players who sulk and get their mother’s involved with their problems, even if she is his agent, it seems pretty pathetic.

I don’t rate Rabiot. He did look exciting in Paris but that seemed to end rather quickly. At Juventus, his inability to pull punch and play to the best of his abilities to hold down a place in the team makes me think that he would do nothing but regress at United. Of course, if he signs for a smaller club, more of a big fish in a small pond, it could look much better for him. United should only be interested in players that will raise the quality level in the squad and not play silly games. For this reason, which is my personal opinion, Solskjaer should avoid Rabiot like the plague.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United hold transfer talks with Bayern Munich over French winger

24 July 2020 by

Manchester United are reported interested in Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, according to reports by The Sun. It is suggested that Coman could be an alternative to Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, who could cost United more than £100 million this summer with the Bundesliga club not seeking to lower their valuation of the player, not even because of the coronavirus pandemic. With Leroy Sane signing for Bayern, the Frenchman could be out of the picture at the club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is intent on bettering his attacking line this summer with Sancho the preferred option but if that does not happen, he could find other players to do a similar job. It is reported by The Sun that Coman could be either a permanent signing or a loan option for the Old Trafford club. The Athletic have made the suggestion that United have already held talks with Bayern over the availability of Coman this summer, which is positive if true. It could also suggest that United see difficulty in signing Sancho.

If United ended up signing Coman on loan, it would suggest that Solskjaer has not given up hope on signing Sancho and could make the move next summer, which might be a better time because of the coronavirus pandemic ruining chances this summer, if that is the case. It is said that Solskjaer has scored Coman and that he could be seen as a player who would add a different dimension to the team, which is what we all want this summer. They even say the player is keen to make the move.

Since coming through the youth ranks into a first team environment, Coman has won a league title every season – eight seasons, also winning ten domestic cups. A player with a winning mentality could be good for United, especially as they want to challenge for the Premier League title and more next season, which means they will need to get early at it to take on the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, who seem to be the leaders in the Premier League at this moment in time.

Coman has played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich. In Paris, he won two Ligue 1 titles, one Coupe de la Ligue and one Trophée des Champions. At Juventus, the 24-year-old won two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana. Since signing for Bayern, which is where his trophies have come thick and fast, the Frenchman has won five Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal’s and one DFL Supercup. This season, in 35 appearances for Bayern, Coman has scored seven goals and seven assists. Which would be well received at United.

During his career, Coman has made a total of 190 appearances, scoring 34 goals and 37 assists. At PSG, the Frenchman made four appearances, scoring no goals or assists. At Juventus, where he played with Paul Pogba, also for his country, he made 22 appearances, scoring one goal and two assists. It is at Bayern where he has played most of his football, making 158 appearances and scoring 32 goals and 35 assists. It might not seem much and he is certainly not in the same category as Sancho, but he could be a player that gets United kicking in the right direction, if the interest and the reports here are in fact true.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United interested in Kondogbia as Valencia put players up for sale

21 July 2020 by

Manchester United have seemingly but another player in their interested list ahead of the summer transfer window opening in less than a week’s time. Valencia midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, who was linked to United about seven years ago is a player that is now on their radar, at least according to The Sun. The report states the at La Liga club will be seeking to sell cup to eight players this summer in order to aid their ‘precarious looking financial situation’.

The reported in the British newspaper suggests that the original report comes from FootMercato, who have stated the the player has a dream to play in the Premier League. They also suggest that Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the player, who also played for Lens, Sevilla, AS Monaco and Inter Milan. The Athletic have added more context to the situation as the Spanish club seem to be in ‘total madness behind the scenes’.

It has been stated that the board of the club want to sell all eight players, especially those on high wages, which the club obviously cannot sustain at this moment in time because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has ran its course throughout world football with many clubs losing out financially. The clubs finances will take a second hit after the club failed to qualify for European football next season. It could be a devastating summer for Valencia supporters.

Along with Kondogbia, seven more players who are to be sold this summer have been named in the report with Dani Parejo, Rodrigo Moreno, Goncalo Guedes, Jasper Cillesen, Denis Cheryshev and Kevin Gameiro and Ferran Torres, who has been linked with United but seems to be more on Manchester City’s wish list this summer. Valencia will be seeking to raise around £90 million, also cutting their annual wage bill by £105 million, which could see the club through the problems faced right now.

This season, Kondogbia has made a total of 34 appearances at Valencia, playing in La Liga, the Supercopa, the Cope del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. The 27-year-old has scored twice, assisting another, which is not a great achievement. However, the Frenchman, who was capped by France and now plays for the Central African Republic plays as either a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder. This could be a position that United might be in the market for, taking the strain off Nemanja Matic, who at this moment in time is the clubs only experienced defensive minded midfielder.

United will probably require more creativity in the midfield if they do buy a player in that position this summer with Donny van de Beek linked to United but has not been the subject of many reports lately, however, former Arsenal forward Ian Wright suggested that he could sign for United – which probably means nothing. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have a lot of work to do this summer in perfecting his squad. After the collapse of the past few matches, including the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on Sunday, the manager will need to get his team firing, so at last they could rise to the challenge of the Premier League title once again.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Transfer Rumours Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hannibal Mejbri has talent and could make the rise like Mason Greenwood

17 July 2020 by

It would be fair to say that 18-year-old Mason Greenwood is a generational talent at Manchester United after his meteoric rise to the first team and the fact he has made 48 appearances for the club so far this season, scoring 16 goals and assisting five more. He has played 2,329 minutes of football so far this season, with three more matches of the domestic season left to play before the UEFA Europa League commences – he is one exciting prospect at the club; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is pleased.

That said, Greenwood is not the only exciting player at the Old Trafford club, especially in the youth ranks. Last summer, United signed 16-year-old Hannibal Mejbri, now 17, who had a good season, despite youth football ending back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic which suspended world football, cancelling many leagues in Europe. The French teenager is highly rated and his transfer was kept under wraps last summer, as much as it could have been anyway.

His departure will be rued by AS Monaco, who seem to have lost a player who could be a generational talent. Mejbri has made 20 appearances for United at U18 and U23 level this season, starting 15 times and coming off the bench five times, scoring one goal, assisting five more. Granted, he may have a lot more to do in order to make his meteoric rise to the first team but Solskjaer will be watching his progress closely as he looks at add more creativity, drive, determination and flair into the midfield.

There were many reports in the media about Mejbri’s prospective (at the time) move to United but they kept it as quiet as they could with rumours coming out close to the time the player arrived at the club. Nicky Butt, who at the times was the head of the clubs academy, now the head of first team development, responsible for academy players making the rise into the first team, just like he did from the Class of 1992 all those years ago. Mejbri, if he keeps in the right track, will end up doing the same. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News back in February, Butt, speaking about Mejbri, said:

“Hannibal [Mejbri]’s a leader. The way he plays his football is 100mph, he’s non-stop running up and down.

“He’s got his own path. We make sure when we sign players we always speak to the parents and give them an example of all different ways of getting into Manchester United’s first-team.

“Hannibal is different to Paul [Pogba] when Paul was a youth team player. He’s not as powerful as Paul, he isn’t as dominant as him, he’s a different kind of player to Paul but we all know about the talent he’s got. It’s been written out there in the press many times with the signing and the fee.

“But he’s a young man who’s come to a new country who needs a bit of time. He’s a very, very talented boy but he’s still very immature. He’s still a baby, he’s just 17.

“He’s not got anything on him just yet, he needs to build up his size and build up his physicality. Talent-wise, he’s got such an immense talent to go on and play at a high level but there’s a long way to go yet.”

United paid £9.3 million for Mejbri last summer, which was reported by The Sun, also in February, which might be a lot of money for an unproven teenager, but it just shows how valued he was by Monaco, despite the fallout between him and the club which has been catalogued in multiple places since, even written about by this website (which you can read here). If the player continues on his rise to stardom, which is something he can do at United, he is going to be a massive talent.

At the time United signed the player, there was a lot of hype surrounding him, which is something that Butt wanted to shield him from, protecting the player in his tender years so it did not affect him at a later stage. This does not seem to be the case though, the player did not even rise to abuse from Leeds United supporters when United beat them in the FA Youth Cup earlier this season. t could show his character, which will help him succeed in the future. As reported by The Sun, Butt spoke about signing Mejbri, saying:

“It’s hard to get him under the radar when we’ve chased him for so long and he’s come from a big club for a big fee, so that’s impossible.

“But you want to get young people under the radar because, coming from a different country and getting the price tag in your head and coming to one of the biggest clubs in the world, there’s going to be so much pressure in the first place.

“I’ve got a 16-year-old kid who, I would hate that pressure on their shoulders…

“But they have that and it’d be foolish to put them out there too soon, because you don’t know what’s around the corner. They’re children.”

It shows that the protection is there from the club, especially Butt who knows that it is like to come through the academy and on the cusp of first team football, presumably why he’s in the role of helping players develop between youth and senior football now, looking out for the player and th rigours of what is to come. Could Mejbri be a shock promotion to the first team this summer for Solskjaer? Could he be involved in the UEFA Europa League this season? Who knows? One thing is for sure, the more you hear about Hannibal Mejbri now, will make you thirstier to see that the player can do in the near future. Can he rise like Greenwood did? He has the talent, in time you will see.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Academy, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Manchester United’s number one priority is securing Paul Pogba to a new contract with happiness from the player after injury return

7 July 2020 by

Manchester United have apparently made securing Paul Pogba to a new contract at the Old Trafford club their number on priority with eight players entering their last year of contract this summer. Pogba seemed destined to leave the Theatre of Dreams last summer after confirming that he wanted a new challenge, which might be in Manchester now.

Since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes during there January transfer window, Pogba will have seen that United were less reliant on him doing there business on the pitch, seeing just what could happen at the club with the right players, the right tactics and the right manager at the club. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have moved on from years of failure.

Since Pogba’s return from injury, which has kept him out for the majority of the season, United have won all five matches in which he started, also drawing in the first match back away to Tottenham Hotspur with the Frenchman winning a penalty which levelled the game. Pogba has been a different player and is seemingly loving life in Manchester again.

Both Real Madrid and Juventus were interested in signing Pogba this summer, before the coronavirus pandemic took told and ruined the financial plans of football clubs ahead of the summer transfer window opening. Pogba is in effect down to his final year in his contract, although United have the option to add another year on the deal.

His return in the summer of 2016 was seen as the best thing that had happened at the club post-Sir Alex Ferguson but injury, poor form (not just by Pogba) and poor management did not exactly make his return go to plan. Now, however, things feel different. United could offer Pogba more than £300,000 a week to sign a new deal, which would be worth it.

As well as Pogba, the contracts of Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Sergio Romero and Timothy Fosu-Mensah will end next summer and United could also opt to release Marcos Rojo, Lee Grant and Joel Pereira. In all fairness, Pogba is the best player amongst these and the priority should be him being that he is in the peak of his career and a world-class player.

Other reports suggest that Pogba is excited by United’s new dawn which could be continuing this summer with speculation linking Jadon Sancho with a move to the Old Trafford club, which would excite any player as it could make United one of the best teams in the Premier League again, after a bit of time with the player being allowed to settle, should he come.

The Athletic have claimed that Pogba has told his pals, albeit privately, which seems strange if journalists know about it, that he is buzzing about the prospective arrival of Sancho at the Theatre of Dreams, which could change United attacking impact next season, especially with the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, who between them have scored 55 goals in all competitions so far this season.

It could well be that United feel securing Pogba to United could be a tough deal, especially with Mino Raiola to contend with but with the financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic and the fact that clubs might not have the money to pelt in United’s direction to sign Pogba, it might be the only option to keep the money coming in as times might be hard for the agent, being that he’s not made much money since January.

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