Manchester United agree contract extension with Spanish midfielder

Manchester United are understood to have eventually reached an agreement over a contract extension with midfielder Juan Mata. The Spain international has been in a contract standoff with the Red Devils over the past year but it appears that he has eventually agreed a renewal after being handed with a multi-year deal.

According to The Guardian, the former Chelsea man had been the subject of interest from the likes of Barcelona and Valencia in recent weeks but United have managed to find a breakthrough in terms of a new contract. The same publication claims that the midfielder won’t receive any raise on his current £140,000-a-week wages,

although he has agreed to a three-year contract as opposed to the 12-month extension previously discussed.
Mata’s role from the starting XI has reduced over the past 18 months but he has nonetheless been termed as a usual squad player under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Overall, the midfielder has racked more than 225 appearances for the Red Devils and during this period, he has contributed 45 goals and 37 assists across all competitions.

Meanwhile, United are also understood to have kick-started discussions with Marcus Rashford, considering he has a maximum of two years running on his contract. The England international has been widely regarded as the long-term option to lead the United frontline and reports indicate that he could be rewarded with a bumper wage rise upon penning the renewal.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been active during the early phase of the summer transfer window and so far, they have already acquired the signature of Daniel James from Swansea City. The focus seems on recruiting young and tested players rather than spending huge sums and Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff and Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka are among the names on the manager’s shortlist for the summer.