PRE-CONTRACT AGREEMENT?
Reports have emerged which claim that a pre-contract agreement to sign Benfica defender Victor Lindelof has been reached. United looks set to win this tug-of-war transfer battle over the Swedish International. Lindelof was heavily linked with United in the January transfer window and now it looks like United will finally get their man in the summer. Roma were looking to hijack the deal but it is now widely believed that Lindelof will only move to Old Trafford.
FROM INVINCIBLE TO UNSTOPPABLE
Speaking to the British media, left-back Luke Shaw said: “Every single game is massive now, but I think the one on Thursday is huge. We have to treat every game like it’s a final. We want to win the tournament. The Europa League is a massive thing for us now – it’s a trophy and it gives us qualification for the Champions League. With the players we’ve got, we can be unstoppable.” United currently sit 4 points behind Manchester City in fourth and are currently stuck in a Champions League ‘rat race’.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM?
Eric Bailly has urged his Manchester United teammates to accept criticism from manager Jose Mourinho. Bailly said: “Most of the players in Manchester United are young, we are here to learn. We have a great future ahead of us so it’s important to listen to the coach’s advice but also the critics. Every player should receive criticism because we aren’t perfect, so we have to accept criticism from the coach and keep on working because the most important thing is to work and improve and gather experience.” Players like Luke Shaw, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Chris Smalling have all been in Jose Mourinho’s crosshairs this season.
DEJA VU
Manchester United are worried that David de Gea will be distracted by a £50m summer move. The situation panning out is eerily similar to the one in summer 2015 when Louis van Gaal dropped de Gea for the opening few matches amid interest and negotiations with Real Madrid. Mourinho revealed that de Gea missed Sunday’s win at Sunderland through injury but there are fears that David is not focused enough.
CONTRACT NEWS
Reports have emerged of a breakthrough in negotiations with Zlatan Ibrahimovic over a contract extension. As things stand, United fans can expect him to sign a 1-year extension in the coming 2 weeks. United will be hoping to secure Ibrahimovic’s future at the earliest before planning their summer transfer strategy. Zlatan has been linked with a move to the MLS or to China in recent months. The Swede has scored an incredible 28 goals for Manchester United across all competitions and will be key to success in the Europa League.