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What's the story?
Manchester United have overhauled their squad quite a bit over the summer and one of the main casualties of this has been Ander Herrera in the middle of the park where Nemanja Matic has usurped his starting position in the 4-2-3-1 system that seems to be working so well this season for the Red Devils.
This, naturally, has given rise to numerous rumours that Herrera is the subject of intense interest from Barcelona. Herrera, of course, worked under new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde during his time at Athletic Bilbao and the two Basques are quite fond of each other.
Seeing as his contract runs out at the end of this season, Manchester United fans were quite worried that one of their favourites would up and move to Catalunya... but if the good folk at the Daily Star are to be believed, that will not be happening anytime soon as Herrera has rejected Barca's advances and committed to signing a new contract with United.
In case you didn't know
Herrera had famously said just last season - "I am playing now, I am getting a lot of minutes. But if one day the manager decides to put me on the bench, I will be ready to help the team from the bench. It's our job. We represent the greatest club in England so we cannot be selfish. We have to try to help the team"
No wonder United fans love him so much.
The heart of the matter
He recently reiterated these feelings after being questioned on his exclusion in favour of Nemanja Matic... and he put in a simply superb performance against Burton Albion in the League Cup yesterday; the kind of fighting display that Jose Mourinho prizes.
Video
Herrera is a nightmare to play against:
And a joy to have on your side
Author's Take
Herrera is the kind of player that Old Trafford loves to have on their side, and Mourinho understands the Spaniard's value. While Matic is probably a better fit in the 4-2-3-1 he seems to be favouring these days, it is highly likely that in bigger games where the United midfield may need a touch more protection they will shift to a 4-3-3 with Herrera joining Matic and Pogba in the middle of the park.
He definitely has a future at United... and the man himself appears to have come to that same conclusion
