Manchester United have looked for a settled left-back for months. According to reporting on Wednesday, one of the men on their list would not need much persuading.
Sources told Football Insider that Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell is “extremely keen” on the idea of joining Michael Carrick’s side and would “find it hard” to reject an offer. Champions League football, the report added, would “hugely appeal to him”.
Mitchell is not the only name on United’s list, and United are not alone in the queue. TEAMtalk reports that Chelsea and Liverpool are also tracking the 27-year-old as his Palace contract enters its final year.
Contract clock ticking at Selhurst Park
Mitchell’s deal at Selhurst Park runs out at the end of the season. Palace are pushing for an extension, but three of England’s biggest clubs circling makes a renewal a difficult sell.
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The academy graduate has played more than 250 senior matches for Palace and lifted the UEFA Conference League with the Eagles last season, the club’s first-ever European trophy. That combination of Premier League miles and a recent trophy is what has caught United’s eye.
United’s summer gap has not been filled
Carrick’s side ended the summer window without a recognized left-back arrival. Interest in Newcastle’s Lewis Hall did not turn into a signing, and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde also stayed put.
Luke Shaw’s injury record and Patrick Dorgu’s inconsistency have left the position exposed all season. Palace’s European campaign this term is in the Europa League, one rung below the Champions League football that has reportedly been dangled as Mitchell’s tipping point.
January move “growing more likely”
TEAMtalk describes an INEOS approach as likely to be accepted and says a January switch is “growing more likely” than a wait until the summer, when United would risk losing Mitchell on a free to Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool or to Chelsea.
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None of the clubs has issued a public statement, and no formal offer has been reported. Mitchell’s Palace contract expires at the end of the current season.
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