Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Says Manchester United Want to Keep Tahith Chong

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the ball is in Tahith Chong's court regarding his contract situation at Old Trafford.

Dutch youngster Chong, 19, is regarded as one of the most promising talents coming through the ranks at United, but his contract is scheduled to expire at the end of the season.

Solskjaer spoke to reporters after United lost 2-1 away to Astana in UEFA Europa League on Thursday and was asked about the futures of Chong and fellow academy star Angel Gomes, whose contract also expires in 2020. 

He said: "There are players we wanna get signed, of course. And Tahith is a player we think is going to develop. We've offered him a very good contract and the ball is in his court."

Chong and Gomes, 19, each made their third senior starts of the campaign in the defeat to Astana, which left the Red Devils one point ahead of AZ Alkmaar in Group L:

One moment to forget, however, saw Chong miss a gaping goal to double United's lead at 1-0 up, shortly before Astana scored two down the other end in quick succession, per BBC Sport's Simon Stone:

Chong arrived at Old Trafford in 2016 after he left Feyenoord's academy, having attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal before he settled on a move to United, according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail.

The player's agent, Erkan Alkan, told Voetbal International (h/t Richard Fay of the Manchester Evening News) at the beginning of November that Chong was "quietly waiting" for United's offer. However, he added they would "see what is best for Tahith's development next summer" if their expectations weren't met.

Those words appeared to be somewhat more threatening than his comments near the end of the last summer window, per Goal's Ronan Murphy:

The Netherlands under-21 international would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club outside the Premier League from January, when he enters the last six months of his contract.

Yet to score in nine first-team appearances for United, Chong will look to take a more prominent role under Solskjaer, who has shown a strong preference for youth since he took charge at Old Trafford.

The youngster will hope to have an impact when United host Aston Villa in their return to the Premier League on Sunday, hoping to avoid going a third consecutive game without a win.