Manchester United are headed in the right direction in their attempts to extend the stay of Luke Shaw at Old Trafford amid Chelsea interest.
According to 90min, Manchester United are making progress in talks to tie Luke Shaw down to a new long-term contract as they look to fend off rumoured interest from rivals Chelsea.
Shaw has endured a rollercoaster of a 2022/23 season. He was dropped by Erik ten Hag after a dismal start to the season as Manchester United suffered infamous hefty losses against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion. Summer signing Tyrell Malacia replaced him and did well to retain the starting spot.
However, Shaw has re-established himself as the first-choice left-back after Malacia failed to perform in a string of games. In fact, the England international has been indispensable and has earned his manager’s trust in the process.
In fact, ten Hag now prefers to deploy him in the left-sided centre-back role ahead of Harry Maguire in Lisandro Martinez’s absence or as a rotation option. Not only is Shaw better at tracking back and preventing counter-attacks, he is also smoother at ball progression and can play more forward-moving passes than the club captain.
At left back, the 27-year-old is enjoying the freedom under ten Hag to attack and not just focus on his defensive duties. While Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho grabbed all the headlines for the Red Devils’ latest victory over Leeds United, Shaw continued his fine run of form with another impressive, or arguably, man-of-the-match display.
He started the game as the left-sided centre-back but began pushing higher up the pitch after Lisandro Martinez’s introduction in the second half. Then he hung up a lovely, inch-perfect cross for Rashford to break the deadlock in the 80th minute.
Recent reports have suggested that the Red Devils are aiming to consolidate their progress under ten Hag by finalising key contract renewals this year, having already opened discussions with goal-machine Rashford and long-serving goalkeeper David de Gea.
A new contract for Shaw would be a wise move, as he has played a hugely influential role in their resurgence. Additionally, ten Hag himself views the full-back as a key cog in his plans and is keen to secure his long-term future at the club.
As such, Manchester United have given themselves more time with the 12-month extension they activated in his current deal. And as per 90min, they have made considerable progress in negotiations with Shaw over a new long-term deal. This comes in the wake of Chelsea’s interest in Shaw.
That said, Manchester United may need to fast-track their contract talks with Shaw, with Chelsea lurking in the background, trying to engineer an unlikely summer swoop for Shaw’s services. The defender grew up as a Chelsea fan, which could give the Blues an edge if a transfer race emerges for the England international’s signature and an Old Trafford exit become a realistic scenario down the line.
Chelsea’s interest in Shaw and another left-back makes little sense as they have already spent over £100 million on the likes of Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella in the last three years or so. Yet, they remain interested in the Manchester United defender and others, like Joao Cancelo.