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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Colin Millar

Erik ten Hag suffers transfer blow after axing Man Utd star who sparked training brawl

Sevilla do not intend to buy Alex Telles on a permanent basis from Manchester United when the defender’s loan deal expires at the end of the campaign.

Telles was involved in a training ground bust-up with team-mate Hannibal Mejbri last May, just before United boss Erik ten Hag assumed the Old Trafford hotseat. The in-house fall-out came in the aftermath of United's humiliating 4-0 defeat away at Brighton at the tail-end of last term when morale was at its lowest under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

Even though Ten Hag was not in the dugout at that point, he was informed of the situation and how Rangnick was so displeased with the incident that he ended that particular training session prematurely.

Both players were subsequently loaned out under Ten Hag’s green light, as Hannibal joined Birmingham City and Telles moved out to Sevilla. Both are due to return to Old Trafford this summer – although it is unlikely either will play a role in United’s first team next season.

Telles is now set to face United in the quarter finals of the Europa League as the Brazilian defender is set to play for Sevilla in the last eight of the competition. It has now emerged that Sevilla have already decided not to extend the left-back’s deal beyond the current campaign.

“What I have to do is do my job in the best way possible,” Estadio Deportivo report Telles as saying, in quotes cited by Sport Witness.

Alex Telles and Hannibal Mejbri clashed in training at the back end of last season ((Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images))

Have Your Say! Should United sell Telles permanently this summer? Tell us what you think here.

“I don’t think about the future because that depends on what I do now. Now I have to play and train. I’ve always said that I’m happy at Sevilla, I’m treated very well and now I have to play and do my best, which is the most important thing.”

Luke Shaw has solidified his spot as United’s first-choice left-back under Ten Hag and has returned to form this campaign. Last summer, Tyrell Malacia joined United from Feyenoord and the Dutch international has impressed as an alternate in the position.

The presence of Shaw and Malacia ensures that Telles is unlikely to force his way into Ten Hag’s first team plans – and the club will be open to his permanent exit this summer. Telles joined United in 2020 from FC Porto and has made 50 first-team appearances for the club, scoring one goal.

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