Several reliable sources across the English media have this afternoon confirmed the news that Manchester United have opted to extend the contract of Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
United stint
22-year-old Fosu-Mensah has been on the books at Old Trafford since 2014.
The versatile defender made the move to Manchester from Dutch giants Ajax, and quickly went on to establish himself as one of the most highly-regarded talents in United’s youth ranks.
This eventually resulted in Fosu-Mensah being handed his senior Red Devils debut by fellow countryman Louis Van Gaal in 2016.
And, all told, despite his tender years, the no-nonsense stopper went on to notch 8 Premier League appearances over the course of the 2015-16 campaign, including a pair of starts.
As such, fans of Manchester United could have been forgiven for speculating that their side had unearthed a real star in the making, possessing all of the talents required to play a key role in the club’s colours for years to come.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on April 23, 2016 in London, England.
The seasons since, however, have seen this prove far from the case.
Fosu-Mensah has gone on to feature on just 4 further occasions in the Premier League for United, the latest of which came on the final day of the 2016-17 campaign.
A loan spell at Fulham last season then saw the Dutch international often struggle for form, with a long-term injury picked up in April having since seen Fosu-Mensah manage just a pair of outings for Manchester United’s U23s.
United take action
As such, it has, for some time, remained altogether unclear whether those in a position of power at Old Trafford foresee any form of future at the club for their once so highly-touted young defender.
If the latest actions of the Red Devils are anything to go by, though, then Fosu-Mensah could yet be handed one more chance to prove himself as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s senior squad.
As first reported by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, and since backed by the reliable Simon Peach, Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension in their struggling stopper’s contract:
As per @samuelluckhurst, #MUFC have triggered the one-year extension clause in Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s contract
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) April 9, 2020
Fosu-Mensah’s current deal had been due to expire this summer.
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