Man United offer defender contract as he considers options

Matt Stead
Timothy Fosu-Mensah Man Utd

Man United have offered a contract extension to reported defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

United triggered an automatic one-year option in Fosu-Mensah’s deal in April but could struggle to get the Dutchman to commit his future to Old Trafford any longer.

The 22-year-old started the opening game of the Premier League season as Man United fell to a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, but he has made only two substitute Champions League appearances since while struggling to even make matchday squads.

He once outlined his willingness to “play right-back, right wing-back, centre-back, in midfield” yet has found opportunities difficult to come by under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, spending two seasons out on loan to no avail at Palace and Fulham.

Despite failing to establish himself in the first team, Fosu-Mensah has a renewed contract offer on the table from Man United.

Sky Sports report that a three-and-a-half-year deal is in the pipeline but the player ‘is considering his options’ because of interest from European clubs.

Marseille and Hertha Berlin are described as ‘keen’ and willing to pay a small fee, either as compensation in the summer or to secure an immediate transfer next month.

Fosu-Mensah ‘wants regular first-team football’ and thus could use the possibility to talk freely to European clubs in the final six months of his contract as leverage.

The three-cap Dutch international was once fawned over by Louis van Gaal and praised by Jose Mourinho but has barely made an impact under Solskjaer, so a move to France or Germany could certainly appeal.