Luke Shaw could sign new contract despite being woeful for years

Well, at least Luke Shaw does not behead and execute people, I will give him that. Nevertheless, whether he should be at Manchester United is a different matter. After a few months of being barely adequate, rather than recklessly unprofessional, United’s single braincell trust, Ed Woodward, has decided that giving Shaw a contract will preserve his resale value. Who knows, perhaps Shaw will be able to secure himself a raise at the same time. And then, safe in the knowledge that his future is safe, Shaw can relax again, briefly stirring into competence the next time his deal only has 18 months left.

The reason for United’s panic over Shaw might be because of the contract eff-up they have found themselves in. Poor management of the current squad and the transfer market means that 11 players, including Antony Martial, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Juan Mata and even David de Gea could soon be leaving the club for nothing or for a tiny fee. Woodward has managed to amass overpaid players who will still leave for nothing, if he doesn’t get a move on.

Manchester United are monitoring Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, who has impressed this season. Ake joined Bournemouth from Chelsea for £20m, though there is a gentleman’s agreement between the two clubs that the player can be bought back for £40m. There has yet to be any indication that Chelsea want to bring him back, nor is there any certainty that Ake would want to go back to Stamford Bridge having decided to quit once before. Tottenham Hotspur are also considering a move for the player, according to the report in The Telegraph.

Romelu Lukaku has done little to downplay the chances of a move from United to Juventus, saying ‘Why not?’ when asked by an Italian newspaper if he would ever consider a transfer. Lukaku does not appear unhappy at United, but there’s no reason why Lukaku would strongly favour staying at a mediocre United side when he could go to a largely well run Juventus, Italian champions and decent in Europe. The biggest problem for Lukaku here is that he has been playing so poorly that there’s no reason they would want to buy him.

There’s something on ESPN about former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. He has revitalised DC United, who are chasing down a playoff place with the MLS season coming to an end. He was absolutely awful for United in the last few seasons at the club, but recent interviews do suggest that he has been able to relax and focus on the task on hand. He was a truly brilliant player who lost his way to an alarming degree, but goals and assists have returned to him in America. He is unlikely to be fit enough to come back and make an impression at United or the Premier League ever again, but given a season or two in America it is not impossible, and that is a surprise.