Marcos Rojo's Mom Says Manchester United Defender Will Move to Estudiantes

Marcos Rojo's mother has confirmed the Manchester United man is set to leave the club for Estudiantes in an Instagram post.

Per El Dia (h/t Sport Witness), Rojo's mother described her joy at his returning to Estudiantes, even though the loan hasn't been made official yet: "The day came, you come home. How long I have been dreaming about this moment. Welcome to your home, to your place, in the arms of mommy that misses you so much. I wish you the best in your return to your dear Estudiantes, may God bless you and enlighten you, I love you with my soul. Mommy."

The 29-year-old made his professional debut with Estudiantes.

Per TNT (h/t SW), the move is all but done, lacking only a signature. United wanted to send Rojo to a European team, but he'll instead return home for at least one year.

It will finally bring an end to Rojo's time at Old Trafford, a parting that is well overdue. According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils have tried to move him in four of the last five transfer windows, with the lone exception coming when he was injured.

Since signing a new contract in March 2018, he has made 12 starts in total for the club.

The former Spartak Moscow and Sporting man moved to England in 2014, coming off a breakout performance at the World Cup. The showing in Brazil proved to be something of a flash in the pan, however, as he never replicated the form he showed there at the club level or with Argentina.

He made 18 Premier League starts in the 2016-17 campaign, but his playing time declined sharply after that. This season, he has made just a single start in the competition, but he did start four UEFA Europa League outings.

The centre-back position has been an issue for years for the club. United have thrown bags of cash at several players trying to fix it, including Rojo, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. They made Harry Maguire the most expensive defender in history when they signed him from Leicester City in the summer.

Maguire and Lindelof have seen the most minutes at centre-back so far this season, while Phil Jones is an experienced backup and Bailly is closing in on a return to full health. Axel Tuanzebe should also return soon.

That much depth means United can safely part with Rojo, and an official announcement only seems a matter of time.