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In today’s Manchester United roundup, we take a look at the hottest stories out there right now involving the Red Devils. Victor Lindelof signs a new deal, United legend Paul Scholes states Paul Pogba won’t be a ‘big loss’, and academy graduates Mason Greenwood and Jesse Lingard are set for contract talks.
Lindelof commits to United
Report: As confirmed by United’s official website, centre-back Lindelof has signed a new deal with the club, which will see him stay at Old Trafford until at least June 2024, with an option of another year.
The Swede said: “Since the day I arrived at United it has felt like home. I have grown significantly both as a player and as a person in the last two years and for that I am grateful to everyone at the club for their help and support. I know that everyone at the club shares this vision and will give everything to get Manchester United back to where it belongs.”
Verdict: This an important deal for United. The club have certainly lacked defensive stability recently, setting a new record for most Premier League goals conceded last season with 54. However, Lindelof emerged as one of United’s more reliable throughout 2018/19 – evidenced in the fact he featured in all but eight league games.
And it appears Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is attempting to build a partnership between the ex-Benfica man and summer signing Harry Maguire, with both men playing every league minute together so far. They compliment each other well – Maguire attacks the ball while Lindelof sweeps – so securing the Swede’s future is a smart move
Pogba won’t be a ‘big loss’, says Scholes
Report: Paul Scholes let loose on Pogba when speaking to talkSPORT, saying: “I think it’s quite clear he wants to leave the club. He wanted to move to Real Madrid [in the summer] and for whatever reason, it didn’t happen.
“If they ask him to stay for a year then we’ll see what happens. But I don’t think it will be a big loss to United [if he does go]. At the end of the day his form hasn’t been great anyway over the last three or four years he’s been there.
“I’m sure there’s more players there who can step in and do just as good a job.”
Verdict: Last season, Pogba was the club’s top scorer and creator in the Premier League and this time out the Frenchman has two assists in four games. So it’s fair to challenge Scholes here – if Solskjaer failed to replace the ex-Juventus man, United would be letting so much of their offensive output disappear from the squad.
Truthfully, comments from such legendary players like this do not help what is already a messy saga, after Pogba was strongly linked with Real Madrid during the summer. Scholes will only be pushing him closer to the exit door.
Greenwood, Lingard set for new contracts
Report: According to the Evening Standard, academy graduates Greenwood and Lingard are set for new contracts at the club, while United are trying to secure a deal with Pogba as well. The Frenchman no doubt aggravated United fans in the summer after he said “he was thinking about a challenge somewhere else”. However, the report explains that with continuous interest from Real Madrid, the club want to avoid another long summer of uncertainty and tie him down quickly.
Verdict: Solskjaer has made it abundantly clear who he does and does not want at the club after the Norweigan let nine senior players depart in the summer. At the same time, Solskjaer has managed to get David De Gea and Lindelof to sign new deals recently, and by trying to get Greenwood, Lingard, and Pogba to do the same, it shows that the United manager is heavily invested in certain members of this current squad.
Greenwood has been in sensational form for the academy sides, scoring 34 times in 34 games for the U18’s, and scored in the Europa League in midweek. Lingard may not have assisted or scored so far this season, but the 26-year-old still offers great movement up top and his experience could be key for United in competitions like the Europa League.