England international Ashley Young has reportedly been rewarded with a one-year extension on his previous deal with Manchester United. The 32-year-old is now contracted to the Red Devils until the summer of 2019.
Young’s career has taken a new shape during the ongoing campaign with Jose Mourinho opting to play him on the left side of the defence. Initially, the Englishman appeared out of sorts with his defending, in particular, but he has made massive improvements over the season to the extent that he has kept Luke Shaw, who is a natural for the position, on the bench.
According to Sky Sports, Young has got his due reward with an initial extension of his contract. The versatile ace was previously contracted to United until the summer of 2018, but the Red Devils have acted by triggering a 12-month extension to keep him at the club until June 2019.
The move is likely to have a direct effect on the future of deputy Shaw, who had been the subject of public criticism from manager Mourinho over the weekend. The 22-year-old failed to obey towards the tactical instructions laid forward during the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Brighton, and this saw him replaced by Young at the half-time break.
Meanwhile, the situation between Shaw and Young has been quite similar in the England national team with manager Gareth Southgate having decided to recall the latter for the second time in as many squad selections.
Young possesses the attacking instinct of a winger which has made him extremely useful in the left wing-back role with the Three Lions, and Southgate was particularly impressed with his man-marking skills against Mohamed Salah during United’s recent 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool.
Manchester United are indeed likely to pursue a new left-back during the summer transfer window, and as per The Sun, 17-year-old Ryan Sessegnon has been underlined as the prime target to succeed Young in the long-run with Shaw’s future potentially hanging in the balance.
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