Leeds United target Ashley Fletcher will be joining Manchester United on their pre-season tour to China next month.
Ashley Fletcher celebrates after scoring the first goal for Barnsley
According to The Sun, striker Ashley Fletcher will head off to a pre-season tour with Manchester United this summer, despite rejecting a new contract with the club.
Fletcher, 20, joined the Red Devils from Bolton Wanderers back in 2009, and has been coming up through the ranks with the goal of becoming a first-team player at Old Trafford – much like fellow striker Marcus Rashford has in 2016.
However, Fletcher has yet to make his competitive first-team debut for United, and was farmed out on loan to Barnsley in League One last season.
With nine goals in 27 games for the Tykes, Fletcher impressed at Oakwell and helped Barnsley achieve promotion to the Championship – and his performances have seemingly triggered interest in his signature.
Fletcher is out of contract at Old Trafford this summer, and the Yorkshire Evening Post report that he has now turned down the offer of a new contract to stay with the Red Devils, giving Leeds United hope of a deal.
It’s claimed that Leeds are hopeful of bringing the Keighley-born striker back to West Yorkshire, and are willing to meet his wage demands to ensure that they win the race for his signature ahead of Bristol City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Now, The Sun report that despite the interest in Fletcher’s signature and the fact that he’s snubbed a new deal, he will actually be given a chance to impress new United boss Jose Mourinho this summer.
It’s claimed that, because some of United’s players will be recovering from their duties at Euro 2016, Fletcher will be taken to China on United’s pre-season tour next month, and will have the chance to make an impression on Mourinho.
If given encouragement that he could play a part in the first team next season, Fletcher may well end up deciding to stay with United yet – but Leeds will no doubt be monitoring his situation closely in the coming weeks.
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