Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked Marcos Rojo to reject the chance to cash in on China’s riches in January, according to The Daily Record.
Rojo, 26, has underwhelmed since joining United from Sporting in 2015 and was made available for transfer in the summer, but the Argentina international has turned in a series of impressive performances in recent weeks after being required to step up in Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly’s absence.
Clubs from China are expected to renew their interest in Rojo in January before the 2017 Chinese Super League starts in March, but Mourinho has told the versatile defender he wants to keep him in his first-team plans until the end of the season.
Rojo has started in each of United’s last six matches, and while isn’t expected to have a long-term future at the club, will certainly be given first-team opportunities this season as the club continue to fight on four fronts this season.
With Bailly also set to miss a month of action when he jets off to join the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of next year, Rojo may be required throughout that period unless Mourinho is able to land one of his first choice defensive targets when the transfer window opens next month.
Despite dividing opinion among supporters, United have actually fared better in the league with Rojo in the starting XI (52.4% win ratio) than they have when he has not featured from the off (43.8%) since the start of last season.
For more stats on Marcos Rojo, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
