Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are currently in negotiations with Manchester United over new contracts. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has exclusively revealed to GIVEMESPORT how the board may employ a similar strategy to the one they used to sign Diogo Dalot to new terms earlier this year.
The Portuguese right-back signed a five-year contract at £85,000 per week with the option to extend it by an additional year to guarantee his future with the Red Devils. However, manager Erik ten Hag is eager to persuade more important players to sign.
Despite having spent about £175 million on players like Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, and Andre Onana in the summer, Manchester United is hoping to gain ground before the January transfer market opens for business.
Red Devils and quartet are debating new terms.
According to The Sun, Ten Hag has revealed that new contract negotiations are in progress with Anthony Martial, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka, and Hannibal Mejbri because Manchester United does not want the four players to become free agents in the summer.
The Red Devils had their worst-ever Champions League campaign, finishing last in a group that included Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray, with just four points from six games. The report claims that the team is having internal talks to keep them on the roster.
It is said that Manchester United has been eager to come to a deal with Lindelof because Serie A powerhouses Juventus and AC Milan have identified him as a possible target due to uncertainty surrounding his future.
However, transfer source Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Sweden international hasn’t lived up to the expectations since they signed him for around £30 million six years ago, and as a result, he doesn’t necessarily deserve a new deal.
The figures from Victor Lindelof’s Manchester United career
Looks
249
Objectives
4
Helps
7.
Cards in yellow
22
Submitted off
0
Transfermarkt data, accurate as of December 21, 2023
It’s believed that Manchester United has been considering whether to activate a one-year option to prolong Wan-Bissaka’s contract after talks over a better deal fell down in October, even though they had made headway soon after the summer transfer market closed.
If there are no internal developments before the new year, the 26-year-old will be free to begin talks with foreign suitors. However, the Red Devils will exert every effort to prevent him from leaving without receiving payment after they spent £50 million to sign him from Crystal Palace in 2019.
Romano is aware that after speaking with Lindelof’s agents, Manchester United is keen for him to sign a contract as soon as possible. Additional negotiations are now ongoing with Wan-Bissaka, another defender.
The Italian journalist knows that the Red Devils have refrained from using the option to extend the latter’s contract because they wish to give him a long-term deal as compensation, because a similar tactic was successful in persuading Dalot to pledge his future to the team.
When asked if Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka, who have contracts worth a combined £210,000 per week, are expected to stay at Old Trafford for the duration of their careers, Romano responded to GIVEMESPORT as follows:
“100% with Lindelof. They will undoubtedly work to move forward as quickly as possible since they want Lindelof to be involved in the initiative both now and in the future.
“They wanted to offer Wan-Bissaka a long-term contract, not just activate the option, so they are currently discussing a new deal for him.”
“They accomplished something akin to this with Diogo Dalot less than a year ago. They could have exercised the option, but they chose to extend their contract to him instead. The discussions with Wan-Bissaka are still going on.”
Casemiro and Varane will need to forcefully relocate
According to ESPN, ten Hag has determined he wants to maintain Raphael Varane and Casemiro as alternatives, therefore they won’t be allowed to end their Manchester United careers until they push for a January move.
According to the report, the Dutch tactician is keen to stifle interest in the pair as he attempts to bounce back from a lacklustre start to the season. He has been in the Old Trafford dugout since being given the management reins ahead of the 2022–2023 campaign.
Two years after securing Varane’s entrance through negotiations with Real Madrid for a £41 million deal, Manchester United returned to the Bernabeu a year later to entice Casemiro to leave the La Liga heavyweights in exchange for a £70 million transfer.
Rasmus Hojlund has “100% trust” from Man Utd despite his goal slump.
Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United has had mixed results in his debut season at Old Trafford.
The Spanish giants will be disappointed by Ten Hag’s decision to hang onto the two players, as Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti had been thinking about making a bid for Varane following David Alaba’s injury, which would keep him out of action for the rest of the season.
Reputable journalist Ben Jacobs recently revealed to GIVEMESPORT that Casemiro is unlikely to finalise his move from Manchester United in the middle of the season, and that supporters in Saudi Arabia are more inclined to part with their money in the summer rather than next month.
