Ander Herrera to seek showdown talks with Louis van Gaal after growing unhappy with life at Manchester United
Herrera has failed to secure a first-team place since arriving at Old Trafford in 2014 for £29m
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Your support makes all the difference.Ander Herrera will seek talks with Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal after growing disillusioned with life at Old Trafford, according to reports.
Herrera joined United during last summer’s transfer window at the same time as Van Gaal’s arrival, but injuries and non-selection has limited his playing time to just 32 appearances 16 months. Having set United back £29m in a drawn-out deal with Athletic Bilbao that nearly saw the Spaniard move to the Premier League a year earlier, Herrera has failed to cement a place in Van Gaal’s first team, instead being rotated as the Dutchman sees fit.
Herrera was left out of the starting line-up for United’s opening five matches of the season, with the 26-year-old having to wait until the 30 August to make his first start of the season in the Premier League – although he did play in United’s Champions League play-off second-leg victory four days before.
But according to the Daily Star, Herrera is deeply unhappy with how his career has stalled since moving to United, and he will seek talks with Van Gaal to discuss his role in the first-team, whether he has a future under the Dutchman and also query the way he is asked to play during matches.
United need not panic just yet though, given that Herrera is contracted to the club until 2018, and they have alternative options to deploy in central midfield in the form of summer signings Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, as well as United veteran Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini if needed.
Herrera did look to finding a run of form this season only to suffer a hamstring injury in the 2-1 victory over Watford last month, which has left him sidelined for their recent matches with PSV Eindhoven and Leicester City that both ended in disappointing draws.
According to a source close to Herrera, the midfielder is concerned that his inconsistency for United will cost him any chance of earning a place in Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad for next summer European Championships in France.
"Ander is worried about his lack of progress at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal,” the source is quoted as saying.
"He feels like he's lost his identity as a player and doesn't know what his role is anymore.
"His situation appears to be getting worse and he's worried his career is going backwards, so there will have to be a chat with the manager."
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