Man United set to offer new contracts to four players

Manchester United are keen to get four first team players signed up to new contracts before the new year.

Jose Mourinho is reportedly extremely keen to get extensions tied up for Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini initially. The former last signed a new contract in the summer of 2016 running until 2020, but the Red Devils are hopeful that they can sign him for longer. The latter is set to see his contract expire at the end of the season as it stands, but Mourinho hopes to keep Fellaini for the foreseeable future.

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Both players have been crucial to the Portuguese coach’s plans, scoring vital goals already across three competitions this campaign. Mourinho is reportedly hoping to avoid any rival clubs ‘unsettling his key players’ by tying them down to new contracts.

The third player United hope to tie down is David de Gea, who has been linked with Spanish giants and European champions Real Madrid repeatedly for the last four summers. The 26 year old’s contract is set to run out in 2019 as it stands.

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De Gea was initially very keen to move to Madrid, seeing a deadline day move in 2014 fall through because of a paperwork issue. However, the Spaniard is now happy and settled in Manchester. The Reds believe they can have a new contract signed, sealed and delivered by the new year to secure the future of their number one.

The last of their key targets to re-sign is de Gea’s compatriot Ander Herrera. The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder has had to be patient with regards to first team opportunities this season.

Herrera said previously that he is ‘calm’ and ‘in no rush to extend his deal’. Those comments worried fans on first impression, but United chiefs now believe they will have a new deal secured by December, regardless of repeated interest from Barcelona.

Mourinho wants all of his players fully focused and committed on football as he aims to make a sustained title challenge this season. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss has told the United hierarchy that these four contracts will give the United the ideal platform to push for the title – expect the four deals to be wrapped up before 2018.