PLAYERS ON TIGHTROPE AS CONTRACTS

JOSE MOURINHO’S precarious position at Manchester United has left TWELVE players walking a contract tightrope.

Top stars David de Gea, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia are all in the final year of their deals. And, while United have the option of 12-month extensions to keep De Gea, Martial, Smalling, Jones and Valencia, the uncertainty surrounding Mourinho’s future as manager is complicating the business of agreeing new long-term contracts.

Shaw (right), Mata, Herrera and Young can all walk away for free next summer, while Matteo Darmian, Andreas Pereira and James Wilson are also waiting to hear whether United will trigger options for an extra year.

Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Old Trafford bosses feel compelled to back their manager in his power battle with want-away French midfielder Paul Pogba. The belief at United is that Pogba is not interested in trying to repair the broken relationship with his manager – and, instead, has his heart set on a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

The pressure has been cranked up on Mourinho to resurrect United’s season after a wretched start to the campaign, including yesterday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham. De Gea is still to commit himself to a new contract, despite sources at Old Trafford claiming that the Spaniard was close to agreeing a deal worth £350,000 a week after