Manchester United ready to open contracts talks with Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw with both men considered key assets
According to ESPN, Manchester United are ready to open contract talks with first-team stars Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw in a bid to keep them at Old Trafford for a few more years, as the club considers their key assets.
Rashford came through the ranks at Carrington to establish himself in the first team, with the academy graduate becoming an instant fan favorite following his goal-scoring debuts in the Europa League and Premier League.
Shaw, meanwhile, was brought to the Theatre of Dreams from Southampton as a teenager. Since his move, he has become the first-choice at left-back in the team under all the managers that he has played for at Manchester. However, his recent form has seen Alex Telles get ample game time as well.
Apart from signing the English pair, former Sporting CP captain Bruno Fernandes will be given a new contract by the Premier League club to reward him for his outstanding efforts on the pitch after joining in the January transfer window in 2020.
United are thought to want to move forward with talks over new contracts for Shaw and Rashford despite the club’s uncertainty over the name of their next permanent manager. Ralf Rangnick is slated to step down as head coach in the summer, and the team will be led by a new manager the following season.
The Red Devils value Fernandes, Rashford, and Shaw as valuable components of the group, as evidenced by their decision to extend the players’ contracts without the agreement of the incoming manager, whoever that may be. Despite his choice to ponder his future at his boyhood club due to his poor play this season, Rashford, 24, is believed to be ‘open-minded’ about his future and is not in a rush to sign a new contract.
Rashford and Shaw’s achievements for United have also earned them regular England international calls, with the duo representing the Three Lions in UEFA Euros 2020 competition last summer. Shaw also scored in the competition’s final, but he couldn’t assist his country win the trophy as they were eliminated on penalties, with Rashford missing a spot-kick.
Since then, the Red Devils’ attacker has appeared to be lacking in confidence and form for his team. The player appears to be having difficulty finding the back of the net, and as a result, he has dropped behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani — both of whom are in their late 30s.
Shaw has also been a little out of touch this season, with Rangnick rotating the 26-year-old with deputy left-back Alex Telles at times. Though he is still the clear first choice in his position, his performance has suffered this term.
Despite this, it is encouraging to see United rally around these players and devise strategies to reward them for their prior efforts with a new contract offer. However, it remains to be seen whether both stars will accept the new contracts, particularly Rashford, who has recently been linked with a move away from his boyhood club.
With the ages of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, as well as Mason Greenwood’s suspension, Old Trafford is in desperate need of a youthful attacker. Losing Rashford in the midst of all of this would be devastating.
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