Manchester United have received a blow in their pursuit of Reinildo Mandava as Atletico Madrid are uninterested in negotiating his departure.
According to a report from Fichajes, Atletico Madrid have no intentions of sanctioning the departure of Reinildo Mandava despite interest from English giants Manchester United. The versatile defender might not have had the best of times of late, but they are counting on him for the future.
Reinildo has been an important part of Diego Simeone’s first team since joining them in the winter of 2022 from LOSC Lille. But, things were not that great for the 30-year-old defender in the recently concluded 2023/24 season.
Reinildo’s difficult 2023/24 season
The Mozambican international was out injured in the initial phase of the season, which saw him miss quite a few fixtures. While he was back fit towards the end of November, Reinildo failed to make his way into Simeone’s first-choice XI.
Mario Hermoso did wonders in the heart of the defence, and Samuel Lino put up excellent performances on the flanks. As a result, the 30-year-old could not regain his spot, and he only featured in 19 matches throughout the campaign.
The lack of game time last season, and his contract running out in the summer of 2025 have resulted in a lot of speculation about his future. With just over 12 months left on his deal, Manchester United are keen on having him in their ranks.
Manchester United want to sign Reinildo
The Red Devils want to reinforce their backline, and they are looking for a few central defenders and a left-back. Reinildo seems to be a great fit as he can feature in both roles and is equally good in both of them. More importantly, he has a lot of experience which could come in handy.
While the Manchester-based club have been monitoring the 30-year-old’s situation at Atletico Madrid, they are unlikely to succeed in their pursuit of his signature. Despite his poor 2023/24 season, Simeone counts on Reinildo and wants him around for next season.
People at the club feel he can bounce back in the upcoming campaign irrespective of all the challenges that he has faced in the recent past. With Mario Hermoso likely to leave the club as a free agent, the former Lille defender could easily slot in as one of the centre-backs if needed.
