It promises to be a very exciting summer transfer window at Manchester United, with plenty of potential comings and goings. Here’s a link to our list of eight players could be exiting Old Trafford at the end of the season.
So, let’s take a spin through the latest transfer rumors and gossip making the rounds on the internet today.
-If Anthony Martial is to leave, then he would have a whole host of potential suitors, including Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Juventus. His United deal expires in June of 2019, and it’s been reported that the Frenchman has turned down the contract extension that he was offered. The 22-year-old seeks assurances over consistent, regular playing time before committing his long term future to the club.
French outlet RMC says that Mourinho has promised Martial the opportunity to play next season in his more preferred role as a centre-forward, instead of playing out wide, the slot where we’ve seen him most often this season.
Last night, an extremely dismal showing all around in a 1-0 loss at Brighton, Mourinho sharply criticized the performance of his fringe players, who don’t often see regular time, and said the Friday night performance conveys precisely why these players don’t see more time.
Gary Neville then said this could be an indicator of certain players being sent away from Old Trafford this summer. Obviously, Martial is a player who has been relegated to the fringes now, but if the RMC report is to be believed, then his future is actually secure.
Then again, the transfer talk on the back pages today also links United to another forward, and that can’t be good for the future of Martial, or Marcus Rashford, at the club. United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly reached out to the entourage of Napoli star Dries Mertens.
Metro quotes The Sun, who claim that “Jose Mourinho has personally contacted Mertens’ representatives over a possible move to United ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.”
The Daily Express is also reporting that Mourinho is keen on the Belgian, who has 45 goals in Serie A over the past two seasons. Despite his prolific production, the 30-year-old Belgian has a release clause that’s set at only £25 million.
Finally, Marouane Fellaini is just as polarizing as he’s ever been, showing us his absolute best and absolute worst during the past two games. He scored the game winner against Arsenal last weekend, but looked horrid last evening. Fellaini is bargaining for a multi-year deal at United, more than the one year extension the club offered him.
If he doesn’t strike a deal, Italy could likely be his destination. Corriere dello Sport reports that AC Milan have held talks with his people, with the Belgian having also been linked to Juventus, Napoli and AS Roma.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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