Jose Mourinho has given Luke Shaw until Christmas to rescue his Manchester United career or risk being used as a makeweight in the January transfer window, according to reports.
The 22-year-old, once the most expensive teenager ever, has struggled to repay his massive price tag since joining United and came in for criticism from his manager last season.
Shaw has been sidelined since the end of the 2016/17 campaign and is stepping up his bid to return to the first team, though the Mirror claim he is running out of time to prove himself.
United have not scheduled any talks with the left-back over a new contract, despite his current deal expiring in 2019 – though they do have the option to extend it automatically.
That means Mourinho has a big dilemma to solve: either offer Shaw a new deal to preserve his value, or sell him in January before it plummets.
If he decides to do the latter, he could use Shaw as bait in an effort to land Danny Rose – a rumoured target over the summer after his shock outburst – in a stunning part-exchange deal.
United are also interested in Fulham’s teenage left-back Ryan Sessegnon as well as Celtic defender Kieran Tierney, formerly targeted by Liverpool.
United did not sign an established left-back during the summer window, despite Mourinho being keen to strengthen that area of his squad, and it will provide Shaw with a chance to prove himself.
He has played two reserve games already this season after ankle ligament surgery and is fighting to try and force his way back into Mourinho’s first-team plans, with Daley Blind currently claiming the left-back berth.
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