Manchester United are slowly preparing for their next Premier League match, but they will not be in action until Monday. It is then that they will visit Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, with the fans watching Chelsea play better against Liverpool in UEFA Super Cup than at Old Trafford just three days ago, this was a good reminder of the performance from the Devils on their opening day of the season.
Still, there were some important news that we want to talk about.
Lindelöf To Sign Contract Until 2025
Reports from Scandinavia started swirling around that Victor Lindelöf could be set for a contract renewal in the near future and that his wages will be ‘handsomely improved’. Couple of hours later, the English media have reported that the Sweden international is set to sign a new contract, worth around £47m.
It will indeed be a hefty pay-rise for the centre-back, if the reports are correct. His current wages are £75k per week, but with the new contract, they should double up to £150k per week. That would mean his yearly salary would be £7.8m. Considering that the contract would be six years long and would last until 30 June 2025, Man United would be ready to spend just under £47m if that contract was to run to its end.
Lindelöf had a pretty good game against Chelsea on the opening day of the season and he will be expected to slowly form a strong partnership with Harry Maguire in central defence. This contract would definitely represent the increase in Lindelöf’s value to this squad.
Staff Decided Not To Sign Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United decided against signing Bruno Fernandes as scouts felt his way of playing did not suit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s style and gives the ball away too often. That is what the Daily Mail have reported today about the deal that never happened. Man United were reportedly very close to getting the Portuguese midfielder this summer, but in the end, nothing materialized.
The agent was ready for the player to move, Sporting Lisbon’s president claimed that he is close to joining a certain club and then – nothing. In the wake of the end of the transfer window, this report from Daily Mail makes sense. Bruno Fernandes truly is a player that loses possession too much and fitting him and Paul Pogba in the same team would a bit hard, especially as both like to roam forwards. Fernandes did score 20 goals from midfield last season, but after all, his passing percentage in Liga NOS was just 75 per cent, which is unusually low for a central midfielder.
Is Gary Neville Right?
Gary Neville had an interesting thing to say.
“Man United will win again. That’s going to happen. I can guarantee you as clear as day, United will win again. They will probably win the league before Liverpool. That is not being disrespectful. They are closer than you think and it is not as bad as you think”, Neville said for Sky Sports.
But is he right? Because if we recall correctly, just couple of months ago it was a complete chaos at the club, Ed Woodward needed to make drastic changes, the squad needed a true overhaul and so on and so on. Are Man United actually getting closer to Liverpool and on the basis of what?
The dealings in the transfer market have been better than in some previous windows, but still not ideal, especially considering this squad. The negatives about the quality of players in the team seemingly has vanished on the basis of a single 4-0 win. A good start to the season is not a great way to judge clubs in the long-term. Man United still have not shown that they are making the right steps and much more time will need to pass for all of us to make conclusions.
For now, the Devils should simply put their heads down and work hard in order to bridge that gap as much as possible.
Leave a Reply