UNITED IS OLE OPTION
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has urged
David de Gea and Anthony
Martial to sign new contracts and make Old Trafford history.
United have been forced to take up the options of 12-month extensions with both players after talks stalled over fresh deals.
But the club will push once more to secure their long-term futures in the New Year after sacking Jose Mourinho as manager and installing Solskjaer until the end of the term.
The Norwegian caretaker said: “I know the club want them to sign, of course, because they are top-quality players.
“It’s down to the players, but, when you’re at Man United, there isn’t a lot of greener grass on the other side. You are at the best place. It’s the biggest club in the world.
“I would hope I can help or guide these players to maybe tip them over to thinking they want to stay at United.”
Solskjaer forged a reputation as a supersub during an 11-year playing career with the Reds that saw him win the Champions League, six Premier League titles and the FA Cup twice.
He had chances to leave and, two years after he scored the goal that made United European champions, he was shocked when they agreed to sell him to Tottenham for £5.5million. Solskjaer still has the contract offer that former Spurs chairman Alan Sugar faxed to him.
De Gea (above, top), an £18.9million signing from Atletico Madrid in 2012, has been named the club’s player of the year in four of the last five seasons. But, at 28, he wants £300,000 a week to commit the peak years of his career to United.
Martial (above, bottom) wants £250,000 a week after becoming United’s top scorer with nine goals this season, just months after Mourinho wanted to sell the 23-year-old.
Solskjaer said: “I had loads of offers and possibilities to move, but the manager sat me down and told me I was going to be an important part of his team, his squad and I was going to play enough games.
“I felt privileged to play here. I’m also stubborn. The club agreed to sell me to
Spurs and I said, ‘No, thank you’. Sir Alex
Ferguson was the best when it came to managing squad players.”