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Manchester United are currently focussed on moving players on in the last few days of the summer window but it has not been easy.
INEOS have done well when it comes to selling youngsters as seen from the outgoings of Hannibal Mejbri and Facundo Pellistri with massive sell-on clauses inserted into both deals.
But moving on big-name stars on high wages has been far from a breeze. The new co-owners initially wanted to sell Casemiro due to his disappointing displays and due to his massive wages.
But no Saudi team came forward for his signature. Wages has been a major obstacle in the club’s struggles to sell Victor Lindelof as well.
Lindelof’s wages a problem
United have been desperate to offload the Swede, who missed over 20 games last season due to injury. But a pre-season toe injury meant he remains at Old Trafford with the deadline fast approaching.
There was hope that an exit would materialise with the entry of Lazio and several other clubs but as per Alfredo Pedulla, the 30-year-old’s wages have proven to be a stumbling block for Lazio.
The Sweden international earns £120,000 per week (via capology), something the Italian side cannot afford and it would require United to either agree to a payoff or a loan exit with part of the wages covered.
With only a year left in his current deal, a temporary move makes no sense and paying off the centre-back does not seem like something INEOS are prepared to do.
“Arthur had been proposed to Lazio in the last few hours. And Juventus would have contributed by paying a large part of the salary.
United could be forced to keep him
“But Arthur does not convince Lazio, so the chances of a deal materialising have almost immediately disappeared. Exactly as with the case of Lindelof, who never convinced Lazio and hence, negotiations never started.”
United should never have triggered the one-year option in the former Benfica ace’s deal and should have allowed him to leave on a free upon the expiry of his contract like Anthony Martial.
But now, they are faced with the prospect of keeping him despite the player falling to the bottom of the centre-back pecking order after the arrivals of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt.
United are unlikely to receive a substantial bid for an injury-prone defender who never truly convinced at Old Trafford during his eight-year long stay.
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2024-08-29 18:00:25
