Article: All Things Change at Manchester United 2019-20
There has been a lot of uncertainty at Old Trafford about what the immediate future holds for Manchester United, and whether or not Ole Gunnar Solskjær has got what it takes to restore the Red Devils to their former glory.
Unrest among the players has, of course, played a big part with the Paul Pogba situation still unclear and Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku falling far short of the promise that Old Trafford fans expected. Another uncertainty was to do with 21-year-old Marcus Rashford. But the Rashford situation now seems to have been resolved.
Under former manager Jose Mourinho, Rashford was often left out in the cold. With the Portuguese manager preferring to play Lukaku as the main central striker, it meant that when Rashford did start a match, he was positioned out on the flank.
However, since the demise of Mourinho and his replacement by Solskjær, that is now changing. Lukaku has been sidelined more and more under the Norwegian manager’s supervision, and it now seems that he is about to start modelling the attack around former academy graduate and England striker, Rashford.
The latest news from Old Trafford is that the young striker is about to sign a new contract that will tie him down as a United player through to June 2023, with an option for a further one-year extension.
The new deal carries considerable incentives, which will take Rashford’s potential earnings to more than £300,000 per week. It will put his salary on a par with the likes of Paul Pogba, but not as high as top earner Alexis Sanchez.
It will put an end to speculation that he might move to either Barcelona or some other top European clubs. So, where does that leave Lukaku?
In a recent interview, former United player Lee Sharpe said he thought that Lukaku would be more productive if he were positioned out on the wing. But, this is unlikely to satisfy his own expectations even though it is where he plays for his country.
It now appears that Internazionale (more popularly referred to as Inter Milan here in the UK) have their minds set on signing the big Belgian this summer. The prospect seems to suit Lukaku who has said that he would relish the opportunity of joining the famous Italian club and working under manager Antonio Conte.
The proposed deal is said to comprise of an initial two-year contract costing £9-million, plus an obligation to purchase Lukaku once the loan period comes to an end for a further £53.8-million.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the only big problem yet to be resolved is the situation with Paul Pogba. According to a report in Metro News, the Frenchman is to make a personal plea to the United manager to let him go. Real Madrid and Juventus are thought to be interested.
However, with a price tag said to be in the region of £120-million, Real are bowing out which suits Pogba who favours a return to Juventus.
