Why Man United should offer Mason Greenwood a new deal

According to the Evening Standard, Man United are set to open negotiations with teenage sensation Mason Greenwood over a new contract at Old Trafford, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keen to secure the youngster’s long-term future. 

The 17-year-old became Man United’s youngest ever goalscorer in a European competition last night after his 73rd-minute strike sealed a 1-0 victory over FC Astana at Old Trafford on Matchday 1 in the UEFA Europa League. 

Solskjaer fielded a much-changed line-up in the Europa League to the eleven that played against Leicester City in the Premier League last week, with several academy stars like Axel Tuanzebe, Greenwood, Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes getting a chance to impress at the highest level. 

While Chong seemed to be overwhelmed by the big stage and Gomes faded away after a promising start, Greenwood held his own and secured three points for the Red Devils with a neat finish midway through the second half. 

Greenwood made his senior debut in the latter stages of the previous campaign under Solskjaer after signing his first professional deal back in October but the Red Devils are now keen to reward him with a new long-term contract following his rapid development at the club. 

The 17-year-old played a few cameos in the Premier League towards the fag end of the 2018-19 season before earning his first league start in a 2-0 defeat against Cardiff City in May and he has already come off the bench in all but one of United’s first five league fixtures thus far this term, with Solskjaer looking to ease him into action at the highest level. 

Noted for his pace, trickery and ability to score goals with both feet, Mason Greenwood is widely regarded as one of the brightest emerging attacking prospects in English football and has been tipped for stardom at Old Trafford in the years to come. 

That Greenwood is getting a chance to impress on a regular basis in United’s first-team at the tender age of 17 and has already played for England at the U-21 level is indicative of a level of maturity that belies his tender years and it should be a no-brainer for United to secure his future at the club. 

A new deal would not only be an incentive for Greenwood to continue his hard work on the training ground but also make it easier for United to shield him from the foreign interest.

It has become somewhat of a trend for English youngsters to try their luck in other top European leagues and the Red Devils just cannot afford to lose an exciting prospect like him. 

Looking at things from another perspective, United offering the 17-year-old a new deal sounds like a perfect piece of business because it would clearly underpin the kind of change that Solskjaer is trying to bring at the club with his young brigade. 

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All in all, United would do themselves a world of good by tying Mason Greenwood down to a new deal at the earliest, given that the 17-year-old has already shown signs of evolving into the next big thing at Old Trafford.