Valencia are launching a bid to sign Marcos Rojo, according to reports.
Rojo has made 18 appearances for United across all competitions this season – 3 of which have come as a substitute – and has been solid at the centre of defence for Manchester United, averaging a hugely impressive 8.9 clearances per game. After a shaky start, Rojo has been a relief for Jose Mourinho whose defence has been riddled with injuries.
His performances reportedly caught the eye of Bayer Leverkusen, with the Germans linked with a bid for the defender last month. It has now emerged that the Argentine is a target for Spanish club Valencia, according to the Mirror. They report says that Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has been in England and has tried to persuade Rojo’s representatives.
The report also states that United’s imminent deal for Victor Lindelof has encouraged Valencia to pursue Rojo as they feel that United may be more willing to sell once they have signed defensive reinforcements. Valencia are willing to pay around £14m to land Rojo in January.
However, it seems highly unlikely that United will be willing to sell Rojo after the defender has played a key part in Mourinho’s side in recent games. Rojo has started the last 8 games in a row – a run during which Manchester United have remained unbeaten. He has been consistently performing and Jose Mourinho will want to hold on to him until the end of this season at least.
Mourinho was full of praise for the player after being forced to defend him following a few reckless tackles. Mourinho said he was “playing phenomenal” and that ““he’s an aggressive, clean player playing probably the best football of his career.” Despite this reckless and dangerous streak, Rojo has been a key performer for United in recent times.
However, Rojo has been error-prone in the past and it remains to be seen if Mourinho considers him a long term option in the centre of defence. Signed by Louis van Gaal, the player had been completely unconvincing in a United shirt until his recent run of good form. With Lindelof arriving and Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling recovering from injuries, his future at United past the summer is still uncertain.
Should Valencia return in the summer with a renewed bid for Rojo, it is possible United may be willing to do business. But given that the club have only just begun to put together a run of form this season and the fact that Rojo has been an important part of that, it seems highly unlikely that Mourinho will sanction his sale in January.
