Manchester United are reportedly set to offload Argentine international Marcos Rojo to Wolves, as they look to fund a move for Harry Maguire.
Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is on the verge of joining Premier League newbies Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £25 million deal, as per reports from the Daily Telegraph.
Manchester United have been aggressively chasing the signing of England international Harry Maguire this summer. However, manager Jose Mourinho has been told that he will need to clear the decks at the club before the 25-year old can be signed. The Red Devils are already packed in the centre of the defence with English internationals Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, along with Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and Rojo himself.
With the young duo of Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah also in the mix, it only makes sense that the club offloads at least one defender before they bring in the Leicester City star. And Rojo had been identified as the likeliest to leave the Old Trafford, in order for United to make way for Maguire’s arrival.
The 28-year old Argentine international joined Manchester United back in the summer of 2014 in a £15.8 million deal from Sporting Lisbon. He has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the 20-time English champions, winning two domestic cups and the UEFA Europa League trophy in the process.
However, Rojo endured a difficult 2017-18 season, plagued by a serious knee injury due to which he could feature just 12 times across all competitions. And following a disastrous 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign with Argentina, the versatile defender seems to be headed out of the club with Wolves reported to be closing in on his signature.
The Premier League newbies have been one of the most active clubs in the ongoing transfer window and are reportedly willing to shell out as much as £25 million for Rojo, who had only signed a new three-year extension with United in March earlier this year.
The Argentine’s imminent departure should pave way for Maguire’s transfer to the Old Trafford, although a deal is still some way away from being finalized. Manchester United are willing to break the transfer record for an English defender by offering in excess of £60 million for the Englishman.
However, Leicester are keen on holding on to their asset and are set to make him the club’s second-highest earner with a new £100,000-a-week contract. Should a move for Maguire fall through, the Mancunians are looking at Barcelona defender Yerry Mina as an alternative, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld also remains a transfer target.
All in all, it appears to be the end of the road for Rojo at Manchester United, with the Molineux Stadium likely to be his next destination. The 28-year old returned to the club’s Carrington training complex earlier this week, instead of linking up with the squad on their US Tour, where they are scheduled to play Liverpool in the ICC 2018 next.
