Brazilian Defender Confirms He Will Play For Manchester United Next Season
It has been a tough couple of seasons for 25-year-old Manchester United full back Rafael da Silva. After the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the young defender’s form has nosedived over the cliff. The once highly rated defender has constantly struggled for form and fitness, first under David Moyes and then under Louis Van Gaal last season.
After failing to impress the Dutchman with his performances in the early part of last season, the defender found himself relegated to the bench as the United manager instead opted to utilize the likes of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia as makeshift full backs and wing backs.
With right full back emerging as a problem position for Van Gaal, United have moved swiftly to address the issue with the signing of versatile full back Matteo Darmian from Italian club Torino.
With the arrival of the highly rated defender, Rafael’s future has been thrown into doubt. He has since been linked with a move away from Old Trafford , with the Guardian mentioning Turkish club Galatasaray as one of the interested parties.
However, in a strange turn of events , the Brazilian has taken to Instagram to suggest that he’s up for the competition and will fight tooth-and-nail to retain his place in the United first-team. The player has posted an image of himself on the social networking site in a Red Devils kit with a message stating :
“A new season start. Let’s keep fighting.”
This latest development highlights Rafael’s willingness to stay on at the Red Devils and fight for his place.
The 25-year old made just 10 Premier League appearances for United last term, which is a far cry from his status in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season at United, where he was a vital cog in the title winning team.
Though the defender is yet to come out and commit his future publicly to United, Red Devils fans will be hoping that the club can retain the versatile defender as Van Gaal strives to mount a credible title challenge next term.