Marouane Fellaini has rejected a new contract offer from Manchester United and has reportedly told manager Jose Mourinho that he is seeking a new challenge elsewhere
Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has told manager Jose Mourinho that he wants to leave the club as he seeks a new challenge in his career, according to reports from the Sun.
Fellaini entered the last six months of his contract with Manchester United this month and has already rejected a new deal from the Red Devils to extend his stay.
The Belgian midfielder joined the club in the summer of 2013 from Everton for a fee of £27.5 million – the first signing of the ill-fated reign of David Moyes. In his five years at the club, the 30-year old has been a highly divisive figure, splitting opinions among the fans.
However, ever since Mourinho took over the reins at Manchester United, Fellaini has grown into an important player for the club. The midfielder has represented the twenty-time English champions on 146 occasions across all competitions, 60 of which have come under the Portuguese manager over the past eighteen months.
Fellaini’s involvement this season has been limited though, as he has spent most of the 2017/18 campaign on the sidelines, having picked up a knee injury late in November last year. He did return to action in Manchester United’s FA Cup win over Derby County over the past weekend, making a ten-minute cameo.
Good to be back ?????? pic.twitter.com/7PhaE2suss
— Marouane Fellaini (@Fellaini) January 6, 2018
The Belgian has been in the Premier League since 2008, when he joined Everton from Belgian side Standard Liege. And having spent the majority of his career in England, he is now seeking new challenges and has informed his manager of the same.
Mourinho, however, is extremely reluctant to lose Fellaini as he considers the Belgian a vital cog in the team’s engine room. The former Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid boss has time and again praised Fellaini in the media and stood by his player amid criticism from several quarters.
And the Portuguese is reportedly hoping to convince the former Everton man that he has a huge role to play for the club, during United’s warm weather training camp in Dubai.
Fellaini is free to negotiate terms with clubs across Europe, having entered the final six months of his deal. One club that has been mooted as a possible destination for the 30-year old is Paris Saint-Germain.
The current Ligue 1 leaders are understood to be monitoring his situation as they look to bring in players on free to balance their books in lieu of Financial Fair Play.
But Les Parisiens will have to compete with Turkish giants Besiktas, who are understood to have already held negotiations with the player’s camp and tabled an offer as well.
