Danny Welbeck is considering his future at Manchester United after becoming dismayed at his lack of opportunity as a striker under David Moyes and unsure of his relationship with the manager.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are two clubs interested in signing Welbeck whose pedigree as a Premier League winner and established international make him an attractive target in the close season.
Welbeck is aware of the interest and is weighing up his options as he is intent on ensuring his career does not stall under Moyes.
Welbeck will have two years left on his current contract in the summer, the usual juncture when fresh terms would be offered to him. Now the 23-year-old, who currently earns around £70,000 a-week, may decide against signing on once more.
Welbeck has scored 10 times in 32 appearances for the club during the campaign and is frustrated at his limited chances as a forward, with Moyes often playing him in a wide position.
Moyes has caused bemusement on occasion during what has been an unsuccessful first season in charge. In mid-December, Moyes claimed that he had been forced to instruct Welbeck to stay behind for extra training, telling him to follow Wayne Rooney's example.
The Scot said: "I've got to say we had a word with him about a month ago and we said that he needs to be the last off the training field. Wayne's out there practising his finishing each day, whether it's taking free-kicks, shooting from tight angles or bending them in, whatever it may be, Wayne's practising. I said: 'Danny, you need to be out there every day finishing, even if it's 15 minutes at the end.'"
Welbeck questioned Moyes's claim, saying a few days later: "I have been doing that ever since I have been at United. Obviously I have been injured this season so maybe the manager has not seen me on the training pitch as much."
Last week Moyes disciplined Welbeck, along with Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young, for a night out in Manchester following the Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.
While United had no game for 10 days before Sunday's trip to Everton and the manager had given his squad three days off, Cleverley, Welbeck and Young are thought to have contravened stipulations that they should not be out late within 48 hours of the tie.
Moyes's decision was not received well, and if Welbeck was to leave it would be a significant blow to the manager's hopes of restoring United to serious title challengers next season. Welbeck is a lifelong United fan, who is from the city, and his unhappiness signals further disgruntlement within the squad.
In January The Guardian reported that some senior players were uncertain of Moyes's credentials and with United well outside a Champions League berth the questions remain.
Nemanja Vidic, the captain, has already announced he will depart in the summer with the futures of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra also in the balance.
Javier Hernández, Shinji Kagawa, Darren Fletcher, Nani, Young, Cleverley, Alexander Büttner and Ryan Giggs are other members of Moyes's squad whose futures are also in doubt.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/...yes?CMP=twt_gu