No indication of Man Utd star staying beyond 2027 as INEOS make fresh contact for £80m PL player
According to reports, Luke Shaw looks set to leave Manchester United next summer because there is ‘no indication’ of a new contract.
Shaw is among Man Utd’s longest-serving players, and he has had a mixed spell at Old Trafford.
Injuries have derailed the England international in certain seasons, but he returned to form last term as he remained fit for the entire campaign.
However, Shaw has already missed games at the start of this season, so Man Utd are surely rueing not signing a new left-back in the summer to provide extra cover.
Man Utd targeted Newcastle United star Lewis Hall, but they were priced out of a move and did not pursue an alternative after spending over £150m on a midfield rebuild.
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When Shaw is unavailable, Man Utd need to rely on Patrick Dorgu, but they are expected to rebuild their defence next year after strengthening their midfield and attack in the last two summer transfer windows.
And as part of this, Shaw is reportedly expected to leave Man Utd upon the expiry of his current contract next year, with The Daily Mail reporting that he is set to leave.
The same outlet has also provided information on other Man Utd defenders.
They explained: ‘De Ligt has been out of action for nearly a year after back surgery, and both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will be out of contract next summer – although United have an option to activate a 12-month extension for both players.
‘With Luke Shaw also set to become a free agent in June, and no indication at the moment that United’s longest-serving player will stay at Old Trafford beyond that, big changes are expected to the back-four after this summer’s midfield rebuild and the new signings made in attack last year.’
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Man Utd return for Jarrad Branthwaite
As part of United’s defensive rebuild, our colleagues at TEAMtalk are reporting that they have ‘reignited their pursuit’ of long-term target Jarrad Brantwaite and have made ‘fresh contact’ about the Everton star.
The report claims:
‘United are planning for life after Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, with changes to their central defensive options potentially coming as early as 2027. That longer-term planning has kept Branthwaite firmly on their radar, given his age, profile and experience in the Premier League.
‘The 24-year-old has finally begun to put his injury problems behind him and has started the season in fine style for the Toffees, underlining why he remains so highly regarded by some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Everton, however, have little desire to part company with their star defender, who we understand they now rate in the £80m (€93m, $108m) bracket.’
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