"I’ve always preferred Barcelona" - Manchester United star gives hilarious response when asked if he would join Real Madrid

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans jokingly said he prefers Barcelona when asked if he would join Real Madrid. This comes amidst an uncertain future for Evans as his contract with United expires this summer.

The Red Devils surprisingly signed Evans on a one-year deal last summer after he left Leicester City as a free agent. While many expected him to just be a part of the squad, multiple injury issues enabled him to make 29 appearances across competitions.

Evans' contract expires on June 30 and there have been no reports about a new contract. In a recent interview with the New York Times, he said that if Manchester United were to approach him for a new contract, he would sign it. When asked what if Real Madrid came asking for him along with United's contract, the defender answered:

"[Laughs] I’ve always preferred Barcelona."

Adding about his future at Manchester United, Evans said:

"I don’t want to force the question with my United future. I’ll be at the internationals in the summer with Northern Ireland against Spain in Mallorca. My debut was against Spain at home [in September 2006, with Northern Ireland winning 3-2 in Euro 2008 qualifying] and then we played Spain in Gran Canaria [in November 2007, a 1-0 defeat].

"I was suspended and always gutted that I missed that one. So now we’re going to a different Spanish island — and most of Northern Ireland plans to go, too."

Evans could next start for Manchester United in their FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday, May 25.

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Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United set for their final fixtures of the season

The Premier League 2023-24 campaign ended on May 19 and Manchester United finished eighth, their lowest-ever position. They still have a game remaining this season though as they take on city rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final. A win could see them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have already won the La Liga title and the Supercopa de Espana. Their final league game of the season is against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. They will also compete in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.

Barcelona, on the other hand, have secured second place in La Liga as they currently sit 12 points behind Real Madrid. A trophyless season for the Catalans will end with an away fixture against Sevilla on Sunday. Barcelona will also say farewell to manager Xavi Hernandez at the end of the season.