Gary Neville has shared his concern after hearing that Manchester United may extend the contracts of both Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof.
United are embarking on a new era with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment now confirmed and going through a ratification period.
Ratcliffe and co will want to conduct a full review of United’s on and off-field activities with the club clearly in need of major change.
Difficult decisions will have to be made and we will surely see some established players leaving the club in 2024.
Two players may stick around though with reports emerging about both Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof…
Manchester United could keep Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof
Varane and Lindelof are both out of contract at the end of the season but there are options in those deals, allowing United to extend their contracts.
The Daily Mail report that United don’t plan to activate that option on Varane.
The Frenchman earns around £340,000-a-week and United don’t want to be locked into those terms for another year.
United are though interested in renegotiating terms with Varane in the hope of keeping him on a cheaper deal.
Varane can now negotiate a pre-contract agreement with another club though, leaving United exposed to losing the Frenchman.
As for Lindelof, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that United have decided to activate the option in Lindelof’s deal.
Lindelof will now stay at United until 2025 and is described as an ‘important part of the plans’ under Erik ten Hag.
The Swede has never really lived up to his billing since arriving from Benfica in 2017 but will now be sticking around for another year.
Gary Neville concerned after hearing Manchester United contract news
These reports are concerning in the eyes of pundit and former United right back Gary Neville.
The pundit has taken to social media to admit that he is ‘worried’ if United seriously plan on keeping both Lindelof and Varane, even on reduced terms with the latter.
Neville believes that United need a completely clean slate and extending the deals of two players who have flattered to deceive just isn’t right.
Neville added that whilst they aren’t bad players, United need to send a firm message that mediocrity will not be tolerated.
United have been guilty of holding onto players for too long, possibly out of fear of them leaving for nothing before shining elsewhere.
That seems to be the case with Anthony Martial and these situations with Varane and Lindelof feel similar.
Both players have been pretty average for United but could now stay at Old Trafford even longer, which hardly sets the tone of a new era at the club and merely serves to raise further questions about the squad building and decision-making inside the club.
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