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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Speaking to Dutch publication Voetbal International, Tahith Chong has revealed he is in discussions with Manchester United over signing a new contract.
What’s the word?
The 19-year-old joined the club from Feyernoord back in 2016, and was named the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year back in May 2018.
The Dutchman made his senior debut for the club last year, and featured prominently in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team over pre-season this summer.
Now, Chong has confirmed he is in the midst of contract talks with the club, and revealed he decided to stay at Old Trafford due to being given reassurances that he will be handed chances to play.
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He said (as translated by The Daily Mail): “Of course we are talking, but it’s still too early to say anything about it. The season is still long and we will see what happens. There are a lot of competitions coming up and I will focus on that.
“Ole tells me to keep working hard and my chances will come. That’s nice to hear. There are a few players who left and I’m climbing up the pecking order. It’s always nice to come back to the Netherlands, but in the end I have to do what I find best for myself. That’s why I decided to stay.”
Youth revolution
Since taking over from Jose Mourinho last December, Solskjaer has frequently insisted he will give opportunities to youngsters in the United first-team. But so far this season, none of the fresh faces who lit up the Red Devils’ pre-season tour have started a match. The likes of Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes, Axel Tuanzebe and Chong, amongst others, have patiently waited in the wings.
Reports earlier this summer suggested Chong could be heading out of Old Trafford on loan, so Solskjaer’s personal intervention in getting him to stay comes with a huge responsibility to actually play him.
Failing to fulfil that promise would raise important questions about just how serious the Norwegian is in promoting young talent into the senior set-up.
United have a clutch of hugely impressive prospects knocking on the door at the moment, and if the Red Devils boss doesn’t open it for them, then some other clubs will. And that really would be a damning statement for the kind of rebuild Solskjaer wants to implement.
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