Desperate Ten Hag pushes Man Utd into contract talks with star as German team plan cut-price raid (original) (raw)
Manchester United have reportedly begun contract discussions with one of their players after Erik ten Hag decided he must stay at Old Trafford amid interest from a major Bundesliga club.
There have been some major developments recently as Ten Hag looks to improve his team with some great transfers this summer. Man Utd’s main centre-back target, Napoli star Kim Min-jae, is close to joining Bayern after they hijacked the transfer.
Man Utd are also becoming worried they will not be able to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea, despite already reaching an agreement on personal terms with the midfielder. Chelsea’s demands – which have been set at £70-75million – are simply too high. As such, Man Utd are being tipped to move for a Crystal Palace star instead.
The Red Devils are also targeting Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund after deciding that Victor Osimhen of Napoli and Tottenham ace Harry Kane will be too expensive. Interestingly, midfielder Christian Eriksen recently admitted he ‘can see’ Denmark team-mate Hojlund joining him in Manchester.
While Hojlund might head to Man Utd, one player who could depart is defender Victor Lindelof. On June 6, The Sun claimed Man Utd were preparing to begin contract talks with the centre-back, as his current deal is due to expire in June 2024.
But three days later, German outlet Bild revealed how Lindelof had become a target for Eintracht Frankfurt. The Bundesliga side need to replace Evan Ndicka, who is poised to join Roma on a free transfer, and have identified Lindelof as a good option.
However, Bild added that Frankfurt would struggle to complete a deal with Man Utd as Ten Hag has told those above him that he does not want Lindelof to leave.
Football Insider have now provided an update on the situation. They reveal that those contract negotiations between Lindelof and Man Utd have begun. It seems Ten Hag has gotten his way and Man Utd will attempt to sort out a long-term deal with the Swede to prevent him from heading to Germany.
Ten Hag does not want Man Utd player to leave
Lindelof has ‘earned the trust’ of Ten Hag thanks to the solid displays he put in for Man Utd towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Lindelof does have a one-year extension clause in his current contract. This means that if Man Utd fail to agree a long-term deal with him, they still have the option to extend his terms until summer 2025.
But Football Insider add that Frankfurt are not being put off by Ten Hag and ‘remain interested’ in the 28-year-old. They are hoping that Lindelof will refuse to extend his contract with Man Utd, which could force the Premier League side to sell him for a reduced price this summer.
Lindelof now has a big decision to make. He could remain at Man Utd for the next few years by signing a new contract. However, he would likely have to accept a backup role in this case as he will struggle to get into Ten Hag’s starting lineup ahead of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
Alternatively, Lindelof might prioritise game time and therefore decide to join Frankfurt, where he would be far more likely to play week in, week out.