Manchester United winger Tahith Chong has confirmed that the club have offered him a new contract, but he is yet to sign it, insisting he is keeping all his options open.
A previous report had suggested that Chong had already decided against signing a new deal at Old Trafford, with Juventus understood to be keen to snap him up on a free transfer once his deal expires at the end of the season.
Speaking to FOX Sports (via Daily Star), Chong suggested that he is only focused on the current season, but he did leave the door open to a move away in the near future.
“It’s early right now,” Chong said. “The contract will come naturally. I am now focusing on this season.
“Yes, they offered [a new contract], but at the moment the season is in full swing. I keep all options open. But it is important to keep my focus on the season. I will see where it goes.”
It was suggested that Chong was eager to leave United after growing frustrated with a lack of game time. The 19-year-old has started just two games this season, neither of which came in the Premier League, despite United’s injury struggles in attack.
Current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the man to give Chong his first-team debut towards the end of last season, but the Dutch winger has found opportunities hard to come by this year, seeing just 24 minutes of league action since the start of the current campaign.
It appears as though Chong is focused on trying to earn more minutes for the Red Devils, but a move to Juventus may be of interest to him. The Serie A giants managed to poach Paul Pogba from United in 2012 and turned him into one of the finest midfielders around before selling him back.
United are clearly keen for him to stay, having offered him fresh terms, but they may need to find a more regular spot for him in the senior side if they are to convince him to stay.
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