Boca Juniors Eyeing Move for Man Utd Outcast Marcos Rojo
Boca Juniors are reported to be considering a move for Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo this summer, with the defender keen to play regular football next season in order to work his way back into the Argentina squad.
Rojo was used sparingly by United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the first half of the season, with the return of Eric Bailly forcing him even further down the central defensive pecking order.
With Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof the undisputed first-choice pairing, reinforced by Bailly, Phil Jones and the emerging Axel Tuanzebe, Rojo was deemed surplus to requirements in January, and joined Argentine side Estudiantes on loan late in the transfer window.
He was able to feature just once for the Primera Division side, however, before the season was paused due to the coronavirus pandemic. Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia announced last month that the season would not continue, shortly after Belgium and the Netherlands set the early pace in doing so.
It leaves Rojo at a crossroads, with no apparent first-team football on the horizon at United, and according to ESPN, he is considering his options ahead of Argentina's Copa America campaign, which will now take place in 2021.
They say that Boca Juniors have expressed an interest in signing him, and the Buenos Aires side - who finished the season on top of the Primera Division - would likely be able to offer him that.
United are understood to value Rojo - who has 12 months remaining on his contract with the option of a further year - at around £15m, but it is unclear if Boca would be prepared to cough up such a fee for the 30-year-old.
United's option of a further year on his deal opens up the possibility of an initial season-long loan, with either an option or an obligation to buy. It's unspecified what their stance is on a potential deal, though it seems likely they would prefer to sell now, in order to raise funds for primary targets Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.
For more from Robbie Copeland, follow him on Twitter!