Sports

Manchester United midfielder set to move on to major European club

Marouane Fellaini looks set to leave Manchester United on a free transfer this summer with his contract expiring.

Aksam report that Fellaini will join Turkish giants Galatasaray on a free transfer in the summer.

An agreement has reportedly been reached already. The Belgian is yet to reveal anything about his future.

However, Man United manager Jose Mourinho has outlined his intention to keep Fellaini and previous reports have suggested he is desperate to keep the midfielder at the club and has urged the board to make a new contract for the 29-year-old one of his priorities.

Quite why Fellaini has decided to leave Old Trafford, if reports are true, is a mystery. He holds an important place in the squad, and Mourinho has continually reiterated that in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, he is paid handsomely at United, and would likely be given a significant pay rise on the deal he signed after joining the club in 2013 while David Moyes was in charge, arriving from Everton in a deal worth over £25m.

United are back in Europe’s elite club competition, the UEFA Champions League, and are in the best position to challenge for silverware since Fellaini joined the club.

Many United fans would be pleased to see him move on, given the style of football that he encourages when in the side, of long balls. However, his performances in the last season have been far improved.

With a long-term injury sustained recently, Fellaini is out of action for a few months. Mourinho said after the injury that Fellaini should sign the deal offered by United before finding out the results of a knee scan to ensure a future non-dependent on the extent of the injury. It seems he’s not done that, and instead signed a pre-agreement with Galatasaray.