Manchester United are coming off an outing in which they showcased fine form, pasting AFC Bournemouth 5-2 on the Fourth of July. The Red Devils are rolling right now, and they have a little bit of time off until they play again, against relegation fodder Aston Villa on Thursday.
However, we still have plenty of United related news and notes items to discuss. We begin with midfielder Nemanja Matic signing a new contract extension. Here’s video of his reaction.
Happy with today's @NemanjaMatic news? ?
? Time to hear from the man himself ?#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2020
The 31-year-old Serbian, who signed from Chelsea for £40 million in 2017, reached a one year extension in March (prolonging his deal until 2021), but now he’s agreed to fresh terms that will keep him at the club until 2023.
“I am very happy that I will continue to be part of this great club,” Matic said in a statement on the club’s official website.
“As a player, I still have a lot more to give and achieve in my career and to do that with Manchester United will be a huge honour. This is a really exciting team to be part of, we have a good balance of youth and experience within the squad and there is great comradery amongst the group.”
“This is a key part of the season and we are playing well. We will continue to fight to finish the season on a high and make our amazing supporters proud.”
Reply below if Bruno didn't deserve this ? pic.twitter.com/W4h848tjGI
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2020
In other news, but sticking in the midfield, there may be no one in finer form, in all of the Premier League, than Bruno Fernandes. Since he moved over from Sporting CP at the end of January, the club is undefeated, as Fernandes has been the x-factor that they sorely needed.
Elsewhere, Mexico National Team manager Gerard “Tata” Martino believes that Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Raul Jimenez should join United.
Martino told ESPN show Futbol Picante:
“Looking at it from the outside today I cannot see a specialist No. 9 like Raul at United.”
“There are many forwards like [Marcus] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial and the boy who now plays as right winger: [Mason] Greenwood but since Romelu Lukaku left I can’t see a pure number nine like Raul.”
“At Juventus he will have more of a fight because [Cristiano] Ronaldo shares the inside of the pitch with whoever plays alongside him, with [Paulo] Dybala or with [Gonzalo] Higuain and maybe he has a tougher fight there.”
Jimenez has been linked with a move to to several clubs, including United, with transfer rumors abounding when the two teams met in early January during the FA Cup.
One more attacking player on the wing is probably exactly what United need to reach that next level, and become among the elite.
There will be major competition in the race to acquire his services, but he still might be a less costly alternative to the top target, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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