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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

Manchester United offer Omari Forson new contract as seven summer exits confirmed

Manchester United have formally offered Omari Forson a new contract as they bid to keep the teenage forward at Old Trafford.

Academy graduate Forson broke into the first-team setup with Erik ten Hag’s side beset by injuries this season, making seven senior appearances across the Premier League and FA Cup - with his sole start coming in the home top-flight defeat by Fulham back in February.

However, he is out of contract at the end of this month and discussions over an extension have yet to produce an agreement.

Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that Forson had now decided to leave United, with multiple clubs said to be interested in his services.

United have clearly yet to give up hope of keeping Forson, however, confirming on Wednesday that he has been formally offered fresh terms to remain at the club.

Discussions are also ongoing with two veteran members of Ten Hag’s first-team squad in 36-year-old centre-back Jonny Evans and 38-year-old goalkeeper Tom Heaton, as well as young forward Shola Shoretire.

Evans rejoined United on a one-year deal last summer after leaving relegated Leicester, eight years since first departing Old Trafford.

In demand: Manchester United youngster Omari Forson is attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

He made 30 appearances across all competitions as an injury crisis particularly hit hard in defence, while Heaton served as third-choice goalkeeper behind Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, having seen an option for an automatic one-year extension to his initial two-year deal signed on his own return to United in 2021 exercised last year.

20-year-old forward Shoretire, meanwhile, has made five senior appearances for United to date but none since the final day of the 2021/22 season against Crystal Palace.

United have officially confirmed the exits of Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial, while academy graduate left-back Brandon Williams is also moving on after 16 years at the club, having spent an injury-hit season on loan at newly-promoted Ipswich and last appeared for his parent club in December 2022.

“He will always be welcome back at the club through the Alumni programme,” United said of Williams, who joined the club aged nine.

Also leaving United is 20-year-old striker Charlie McNeill, who has decided to move on at the end of his contract having failed to make another first-team appearance since his brief debut against Real Sociedad in the Europa League in September 2022.

McNeill cost £750,000 when United signed him from rivals Manchester City in 2020, scoring prolifically for both clubs at youth level before embarking upon loan spells in the EFL with Newport and Stevenage.

United have also announced the exits of Under-18s defender Marcus Lawrence and young goalkeeper Kie Plumley as well as former Tottenham and England midfielder Tom Huddlestone, who arrived in the summer of 2022 to replace Paul McShane in an academy player-coach role.

The Red Devils have already said goodbye to Alvaro Fernandez, with Benfica exercising their option for a permanent summer transfer following a successful loan spell for the Spanish left-back in Portugal in the second half of the season.

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