Manchester United are at a standstill in contract negotiations with two players, according to a new report.
Ruben Amorim's side are 14th in the Premier League after their 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day, and are in action again on December 30 when they host Newcastle.
The Portuguese boss is likely to oversee a major squad rebuild in the summer, with money expected to be available to spend.
That will require players to leave the club, and Fabrizio Romano claims that Amorim has already made a decision to allow one player to exit once the season has been completed.
Advert
But there will be certain young players that Amorim will want to build around or at least feature prominently in his squad.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and winger Alejandro Garnacho have both graduated from United's academy to play significant roles in the first team squad, though both have had more challenging campaigns this term for differing reasons.
Garnacho was dropped from the matchday squad to take on Manchester City earlier this month, and has been criticised by United fans for his decision-making during matches.
Mainoo, meanwhile, missed a month of action due to a muscle injury and has recently returned to the starting XI.
Garnacho and Mainoo are 20 and 19 respectively, though, and will likely hold significant value for United in the long-term should they improve their games further.
But the Daily Mail claim that United are 'struggling to reach agreements' with both players over new contracts.
A failure to reach an agreement may not be too damaging in the short-term for United, as Mainoo's contract runs until 2027 and Garnacho's contract until 2028.
But there is the possibility that both players may decide their future lies away from Old Trafford if they are not offered acceptable terms.
The Mail also claim, meanwhile, that centre-back Victor Lindelof will be allowed to leave the club in January if a suitable offer is received.
The Sweden international was forced off in the first half of United's 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham earlier this month in what was his first start under Amorim after recovering from a muscle injury.
His contract expires at the end of the season.
Topics: Manchester United, Ruben Amorim
Ryan Smart