Why Manchester United Should Hold On To Marcos Rojo At All Costs
Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo could be on his way to join Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain over the summer. The Red Devils are understood to be trying to get him to sign a new contract but as per latest reports, these discussions appear to have hit a stumbling block.
With a delay clouding their developments, PSG are ready to offer him a clean slate and lure him to the Parc des Princes once the season comes to an end. Regardless of how that turns out, there is a bigger question to consider and that is whether or not United should let Rojo leave.
Rojo is a natural centre-back but he has played as a left-back for the club on certain occasions. This season, he did not make as many appearances in the initial few months since he was recovering from a cruciate ligament injury but lately, he has found himself back in the first-team on a regular basis. There is no doubt that the £70,000-a-week defender is crucial to Jose Mourinho’s plans, even more so since Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are the only other reliable options in that area.
Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof have just been unreliable and inconsistent, thus making things tougher for Mourinho. To further complicate his troubles, both Jones and Bailly are injury-prone and that is why it does not make sense for United to stall contract talks with Rojo – not unless they have another central defender in mind. The Red Devils have been linked to a few new centre-backs and it is likely that they will try to sign them over the summer.
In case they fail to bring anybody new though, United must do everything they can to keep Rojo away from potential suitors. Rojo boasts of immense potential and skill, and was playing some incredible football last season before he picked up the dreadful injury. However, he has shown signs of promise in the few times that he has played this season so far and he could be back to his true power once he gets back to full match fitness.
Hence, it might be too soon for United to let Rojo leave. Getting him to extend his contract must be the top priority at present and the management must work actively on ensuring that he stays beyond the end of the season at least. At his best, there is very little that Rojo cannot do and he could go on to become a valuable asset for the Red Devils. Thus, keeping him at Old Trafford is likely to be the better option for United right now.