According to the Daily Mail, Ander Herrera is set to extend his stay at Manchester United by putting pen to paper on a new deal.
The 29-year-old looked set to head for the exit door at Old Trafford upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season but the Spaniard now looks set to sign a new three-year contract at the Theatre of Dreams. (h/t Daily Mail)
Herrera struggled for lack of regular minutes under Jose Mourinho at the start of the season but he has been reinstated in the first-team by caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Spaniard starting in all but three games under the Norwegian.
The Red Devils splashed a staggering £29million to bring Herrera to Old Trafford from Athletic Bilbao back in 2014 as the first signing of Louis van Gaal era and the Spaniard has proven his worth as a seasoned campaigner in the Premier League. The former Spanish youth international has accumulated a total of 20 goals and 27 assists from 184 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.
Herrera has been one of the key players in United’s midfield over the course of his four-and-a-half stay at the club. A faithful long-term servant to United, the Spaniard has filled every role that he has been asked to with a smile on his face. Known for his versatility, right temperament, amiable nature and work rate, Herrera has often been deployed in unfamiliar positions but he has never lacked commitment on the pitch.
While he was brought in primarily as a central midfielder, Herrera has also been used in a defensive role as a shield for the rearguard and as a makeshift centre-back at times due to his composure and game-reading ability.
Man United looked set for a disastrous season under Mourinho but Solskjaer has helped the club turn their fortunes around in the Premier League, with the legend guiding the team to 11 wins from the last 13 games in all competitions. As a result of their recent resurgence, the Red Devils have leapfrogged Arsenal and Chelsea to 4th in the standings and they are very much the favourites to finish the season in the top four ahead of their rivals.
Solskjaer’s free-flowing attacking football has brought the best out of players like Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Ashley Young, Paul Pogba and a few others. While the aforementioned players have stolen much of the limelight for United’s resurgence, Ander Herrera’s presence in a deeper role has been a key factor as well. Along with Nemanja Matic, Herrera has not only done a bulk of the dirty work in cutting out the attacks with tackles and interceptions but he has contributed a lot to the build-up play as well.
Herrera’s presence has added that solidity to United’s midfield under Solskjaer, allowing the likes of Pogba, Lingard and the more attacking players to wreak havoc through the opposition’s defence. The Spaniard has also retained possession well, dictating the tempo of the game and switching the play with his impressive range of passing to change the point of the attack. Furthermore, he has been given the licence to venture forward on the counter-attack and get into the box, thus increasing his overall contribution to the team.
The 29-year-old averages 45.7 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 88.2, including 2.4 tackles, 2 interceptions and 0.8 key passes per game in the Premier League this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a central midfielder. He has already registered 2 goals and 3 assists from 18 appearances in the league and going by his recent form, he looks good for many more.
Still only 29, Herrera has plenty of years left in his prime and United should do everything to tie one of their utility players and seasoned campaigners to a new contract before the end of the season.