Manchester United offer new contract to 36-year-old star - Reports
Manchester United have reportedly offered Jonny Evans a contract extension. The Red Devils confirmed they were in talks with the Northern Irish defender when announcing their retained squad.
Manchester Evening News reports that United have followed through with those claims by offering Evans a new deal. The veteran defender returned to Old Trafford last summer after leaving Leicester City.
Evans impressed amid a defensive nightmare Erik ten Hag's defense encountered. The three-time Premier League champion made 30 appearances across competitions, helping Manchester United keep six clean sheets.
The former West Bromwich Albion centre-back wasn't expecting that much game time. Ten Hag was forced to make him a prominent member of his first team. He's done enough to secure a longer stay with the club he started his career with.
Manchester United are expected to enter the market for a new defender or even two. Raphael Varane is leaving once his contract expires on June 30 and Lille's Leny Yoro and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite have been linked as replacements.
Ten Hag spoke highly of the impact Evans had last season and how important he was for the Red Devils. The Dutch coach said (via The Peoples Person):
"We are so pleased we signed the fifth centre-back because normally, you say: ‘Why five centre-backs in the squad?’ But you see, we are so happy we did this. As you see, his performance across the season, he’s such an important player for this squad. He will always be there when he’s needed and give good performances."
Evans could continue for a year before possibly entering a backroom role at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick went down that path when calling time on his career at United.
"A top-class manager" - Jonny Evans hopes Erik ten Hag stays at Manchester United
Ten Hag's future is still uncertain weeks after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. There was massive speculation that he was set to be sacked after the FA Cup final, regardless of the result.
Manchester United claimed an unlikely 2-1 win against Manchester City to win the cup. It was the second trophy Ten Hag had delivered in as many seasons, and it closed out a difficult campaign on a positive note.
The Red Devils' new co-owners and Joel Glazer are conducting an end-of-season review. This will decide Ten Hag's future after the team finished eighth in the league and had some poor performances and results.
Evans made it clear he wanted the Dutchman to stay in charge when speaking on international duty yesterday (June 7). He said (via the Belfast Telegraph):
"Yeah, of course [I stand by what I said]. I think he is a top-class manager,” Evans began. The thing that keeps me going is learning about the game, and I learnt an awful lot last season with different styles of playing the game, and I learnt a lot of things from the manager Ten Hag."
Manchester United appointed Ten Hag as manager in July 2022. Since arriving from Ajax, he's overseen 68 wins in 114 games.