Ashley Young rejected contract extension after a call from Lukaku

Ashley Young rejected contract extension after a call from agent Lukaku
Ashley Young rejected contract extension after a call from agent Lukaku
  • Ashley Young has refused a one-year contract extension at Manchester United.
  • Romelu Lukaku’s phone call to Man Utd skipper Ashley Young convinced him for Milan role.
  • Romelu Lukaku believed to have called Alexis Sanchez before Inter Milan transfer

Ashley Young has refused a one-year contract extension at Manchester United because of a lack of playing time. He has made 18 appearances this term but has only started ten league games.

United are still to decide whether to let the defender leave during January as they regard him as an essential member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad. Young, 34, hopes to join Inter Milan this month, but failing that, plans to sign for the Serie A leaders in the summer when he will be a free agent.

Young joined United from Aston Villa in 2011 and has been part of squads that won the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup. He has played 261 matches for the Old Trafford club. He has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League in his time in Manchester.

Ashley Young had a call with Lukaku

Ashley Young reportedly received a phone call from former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku as he weighed up a move to Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Lukaku was on hand to tell Young about life in Italy under Antonio Conte as he contemplated a move abroad. Young has virtually agreed to a move to Italy on a free transfer in the summer, bringing the curtain down on eight-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford. 

Sportsmail revealed on Thursday that Young was left angered by United’s decision to block a move to Inter this month. United are unwilling to let him go in January due to the number of defensive injuries they have, while there is a recognition that the dressing room would miss his leadership.

‘It’s a discussion Ash and I will have if it comes up,’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday ahead of United’s clash against Norwich. ‘We haven’t got too many players fit and ready, so we need the ones we have.

‘He’s one of our players and our captain. There’s loads of speculation, we’ve just got to handle it. Ashley’s been very professional and focused, so I don’t think that’s going to change. ‘He’s been very, very good for this club, and he’s been an excellent captain this season, so let’s see where we are in June – and February as well.’

Lukaku-Sanchez call before transfer

Previously Romelu Lukaku reportedly convinced Alexis Sanchez to join him at Inter Milan. Sanchez was to join Lukaku in Milan with the Belgian striker making a move from Manchester few months prior to Sanchez move.

It was widely reported that Lukaku made a number of phone calls to former teammate Sanchez to encourage him to follow in his footsteps. Former Everton striker Lukaku reportedly talked up the Italian city to Sanchez upon his arrival this summer. Lukaku is claimed to have told the Chilean about the ‘beauty’ of Milan over Manchester, encouraging him to make a move with him.

United have been locked in negotiations over a move for Sanchez to San Siro and have had to overcome a number of issues to finalise a deal, including how much of his £400,000-a-week wages the Italians would pay.