Manchester United defender, Luke Shaw, has had a great time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. (imago Images)
According to Sky Sport Italia (h/t The Daily Mail), Manchester United defender, Luke Shaw, is set to receive a new contract at Old Trafford in the coming months. Shaw is currently on a deal that expires in the summer of 2023, and the Red Devils would be looking to extend that after his recent run of form.
Shaw is in fine form for England at the UEFA Euros 2020. One assist against Germany in a 2-0 in a last-16 win and 2 assists against the Ukrainians in a 4-0 drubbing has certainly brought attention to the full-back’s performance. After a tough time under Jose Mourinho where the Portuguese ‘didn’t like’ Shaw, is his resurgence under Solskjaer worth a new contract?
Shaw, as mentioned above, was not in Mourinho’s good books at Old Trafford. Many would have thought that the former Southampton full-back’s United career was over after that, but he has fought back to earn his spot in the Red Devils starting XI under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Last season, he featured in 32 league games for United- the most league games he has played in since the 2013/14 season. In total, he was fielded 47 times by the Norwegian across five different competitions. That shows how important the Englishman is to the way Solskjaer fields his team now.
And it wasn’t the first season that Shaw was trusted to be the club’s first-choice left-back. Ever since the 2018/19 campaign under Ole, he has been a regular fixture in their line-up, barring injury troubles. The most impressive thing about the 25-year-old’s comeback to regular Premier League football is the way he has handled competition.
Alex Telles signed for United from FC Porto last summer in a deal that could rise to £18.1million with add-ons. Given the Brazilian’s reputation, many would have rightly thought that he could replace Shaw in the starting XI more often. But instead, Shaw went on to have an admirable season where he was the club’s first-choice man on the left side of the defence.
It is clear that Shaw is liked by Solskjaer. His impressive form in the knockout stages for England is further proof that he is a quality player. And United should reward him for the effort he has put in on the pitch. He is on a deal that expires in the space of 2 years.
While that sounds like a long time, two years on a player’s contract in football means that the alarm bells could start ringing soon. If the club doesn’t offer him a new deal within this season, the anxiety of having a player in the last year of his deal is not good for any manager if he wants the player to stay.
That gives the player some liberty if he wants to force an exit. Not just that, the club also takes a backseat in any transfer negotiations for the footballer and may not have a strong hand when it comes to deciding his future or any potential transfer fee. In order to fend off any suitors and show Shaw their appreciation of his hard work, a new contract is a logical step for Manchester United to take.
