"A question of what the players want" - Ralf Rangnick provides interesting transfer update on 4 out-of-contract Manchester United stars

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick believes it's too early to think about players who will be out of contract in the summer.

Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata are set to become free agents at the end of the season. None of the quartet has featured prominently for the Red Devils this season, but will likely deplete the squad if they leave.

Rangnick, though, has said that he is only focused on piecing together a strong end to the season. When questioned about the aforementioned players' futures at Old Trafford, the German tactician replied (as quoted by Manchester Evening News):

"I don’t know. It’s far too early to speak about that. It’s also a question of what the players want and how does the club see it, but these are not any interesting topics or issues for us right now. For us right now, it’s to get the best out of the season, and this is in the interests of the club, the fans, our current coaching staff, but also the players."

He added that the players' futures could depend on the kind of performances they put in. Rangnick believes quality displays could help the individuals and Manchester United as well. He said:

"Even if they want to leave at the end of the season, they have the chance to get a new offer from any other club, including Manchester United, and it is much bigger and much higher if they do well, play well and if we are being successful."

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How have the likes of Lingard and Pogba performed for Manchester United this season?

Pogba has accumulated the most minutes among the four aforementioned players, despite playing the same number of games as Lingard and Cavani. The Frenchman was a fixture in the starting XI under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the start of the season.

He has played 14 times across competitions for Manchester United this term, laying out seven assists. Pogba missed a large chunk of the season due to injury, but is back in action now. The 28-year-old looks set to feature prominently for Rangnick's team for the rest of the season.

Cavani and Lingard have also racked up 14 appearances across competitions this term. They have identical goal contributions as well, with both players registering two goals and an assist apiece.

Meanwhile, Mata has featured just four times for the Red Devils so far this season. He has no goals or assists, and has accumulated less than 50 minutes per contest. He did score in the penalty shootout defeat to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, though, after coming on as a substitute.