Man Utd stalwart expects to be dumped in summer as fresh faces emerge

Jonny Whitfield 16 Dec 2019 4:06 PM

Paul Pogba, Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Nemanja Matic TEAMtalk

Manchester United captain Ashley Young expects to leave the club at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract, according to a report.

The 34-year-old, who has been at Old Trafford since moving from Aston Villa in 2007, has made 15 appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season having been handed the skipper’s armband in August.

United activated a clause in the Young’s contract in March 2018 which saw his deal extended until the end of the 2018/19 season, before the Englishman penned a one-year extension in February to last until the close of the current campaign.

However, according to the Evening Standard, the full-back’s 12-year association with United looks like it will come to an end in the summer.

The newspaper says that Young – who is free to negotiate pre-contract agreements from January onwards – is yet to begin formal talks with Old Trafford bosses over an extension.

It is also claimed that the emergence of Brandon Williams at left-back and the fact that Solskjaer prefers Diogo Dalot at right-back will mean the 34-year-old’s chances will be limited.

Furthermore, Solskjaer reportedly wants to recruit three or more players over the next two transfer windows meaning wages will have to be cut, with Young expected to be let go.

Young has played 258 times for United since joining, chipping in with 19 goals and 43 assists.

Should the full-back leave in the summer, one player reportedly on United’s radar to replace him is Dries Mertens.

The Belgian international is also out of contract in the summer and recent reports have linked him with a move to Old Trafford.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that should the player decide to leave Naples, he can only do so for a club outside Italy.

When asked about interest in Mertens from Inter Milan, he said: “Inter on Mertens? Dries has a contract with which he can go from all sides, except in Italy. Is that clear? He is is also a false nine for us, we don’t need other attackers in January.”