Manchester United will wait until the end of the season to make a decision on the futures of Chris Smalling and Alexis Sanchez.
Smalling, 30, has appeared 29 times and earned plaudits on loan at Roma, who are interested in signing him on a permanent basis but Sanchez has endured another injury-plagued season on loan at Inter Milan, where he has started only three times in Serie A.
The MEN revealed in February Smalling is keen on staying in Rome and is contracted to United until 2022, as is Sanchez. United started seeking potential buyers for Sanchez, 31, at the start of the year.
United are currently short of cover at centre half, where Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones are unavailable through injury, and Under-18 captain Teden Mengi has been drafted into first-team training but Smalling is expected to extend his stay with Roma until the end of the season.
“I am very, very happy with what is happening at the moment in and around the squad and Chris certainly has had a very good season at Roma,” Solskjaer said.
“Alexis has had some injury problems again. They are thinking about their futures and we are thinking about ours. We will make a decision after the end of this season and I think it is important that they focus on finishing the season where they are and that we can continue what we do.”
Sanchez has only completed 90 minutes in three club matches in the last two years and is on £400,000 a week net at United. United did not give Inter the option to sign Sanchez at the end of his loan in the hope his form would attract more clubs and drive up his value.
Solskjaer talked Sanchez up in press conferences in a vain attempt to prevent his re-sale value from dwindling and did similarly with Smalling, who was on the brink of an England squad recall before the coronavirus pandemic enforced the lockdown.
Jesse Lingard has also been linked with a move to Italy following his alliance with the agent Mino Raiola and is approaching the final year of his United contract. Although the club has the option of an extension the 27-year-old has not started in the Premier League since New Year’s Day.
“Jesse has always been a very fit boy and he’s working hard,” Solskjaer added. “He is an athletic boy. So now it is time to give him a chance again.
“We know how he has worked. He has had his challenges. Jesse knows what it takes to be a Man United player and he has scored important goals for us. FA Cup final, obviously we remember that.
“Hopefully Jesse can take his chance and we see the best of him again. We know there is a top player there.”
Manchester Evening News
