Sridhar Bhamidi
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is set for a move away in January and his latest suitors come from Turkey. According to Turkish daily, Fanatik (h/t Turkish-football), Fenerbahce want to sign the out-of-favour England international in the January transfer window.
These reports indicate that the Turkish giants want to sign the left-back on a season-long loan deal in the winter window. They join Tottenham Hotspur as the potential destination for Shaw. The full-back joined the Red Devils from Southampton in 2014 for a transfer fee of £27m. That may look minuscule now but in those days, it was a mammoth amount for someone untested at the highest level.
Shaw was expected to be a long-term signing for United, although he started on the wrong footing. He quickly fell out of favour with Louis van Gaal, who chided him for being overweight.
The England international tried his best to get into his best, both physically and on the pitch, although he was unlucky with his injuries as well. He suffered a double leg break against PSV Eindhoven and has struggled to regain his fitness ever since.
What also didn’t work for Shaw was the lack of confidence from his current manager Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese publicly criticised his attitude last season and was critical of his performances on the pitch. Although Shaw indicated his desire to stay back and fight for his place, there is a school of thought that he may decide to leave United to get more regular first-team action.
Mourinho isn’t too averse to see him leave either. He was even reportedly contemplating the option of a swap deal involving Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur and Shaw.
The left-back too could be swayed by the prospect of reuniting with his old manager Mauricio Pochettino, who handled him at Southampton.
So, will Fenerbahce have a chance to land Shaw? The England international may prefer to stay in the Premier League and with no shortage of suitors, he may get his pick of clubs. As for Fenerbahce, they may be set for a heart break.
