Manchester United could announce Ashley Young’s contract renewal before the Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain. The Manchester Evening News reported last week that Ashley Young, who is now 33, was expected to sign a new one-year contract, having entered the last five months of his current contract.
Sources close to the deal say Manchester United could confirm Young’s extension on Monday, possibly before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-match press conference. Young is poised to become the fifth United player to ink new terms in the last two months. Chris Smalling, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Phil Jones have all received new contracts and Luke Shaw also committed his long-term future to United in October. United have also opened dialogue with Marcus Rashford about an improved deal.
Solskajer was effusive about Phil Jones’ four-year contract renewal but the news prompted a backlash from some United fans. Jones, who turns 27 this month, has been plagued by fitness issues for much of his seven-and-a-half years at United and has already missed two months of the current campaign through injury.
Sources say Solskjaer values 33-year-old Young’s ‘old school’ leadership approach and how he manages the United dressing room. Young has captained United for the majority of the season and has enjoyed spells as a first-teamer at right-back and left-back over the last 18 months.
Solskjaer said last week: “We’ve had some iconic captains here with Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson, so personalities… big personalities. I think that’s important, that you’re not afraid of standing in front of your team-mates and putting them in their place if you have to. And I have to be fair to Ashley, who’s now our skipper. He’s maybe one of the last old-school ones, he sounds a bit like Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville and all them.”
Manchester United signed Ashley Young from Aston Villa for £16million in 2011 and the one-time winger has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League during his Old Trafford career. Young was also a regular for England during their captivating World Cup run to the semi-finals in Russia last year.
Spanish duo Ander Herrera and Juan Mata are the only other Manchester United players out of contract in the summer of 2019 and the club are in talks with both players’ representatives. Ander Herrera’s camp expect the 29-year-old to remain at United but Juan Mata is believed to be seeking a minimum two-year deal.