Manchester United Rumors: Red Devils Hid Truth About Defender's Exit, Report Suggests

Marcos Rojo may have learned about his Manchester United exit at the same time as the public, a report suggests.

Rojo left Man United for good on Tuesday after he officially joined Argentine club Boca Juniors. But while his departure from Old Trafford is true, the events that happened prior to the move may have been different from what was publicized.

Apparently, Rojo was “still waiting” for the Red Devils to make a decision about his contract, with the club having had the option to extend for another 12 months, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources. But while he was waiting to hear from them, Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suddenly publicly announced in January that the club had already green-lighted the defender’s exit, the insiders said.

“Likely that Jesse loan deal is going through, likely that Marcos goes back to Argentina – a little bit of paperwork left to be done,” Solskjaer said in a media conference last month. “Sergio [Romero], not heard anything from there.”

The report also noted that United said in a statement that it had received an "undisclosed fee" for Rojo’s transfer, signed by then-Man United manager Louis van Gaal for £16 million ($22 million) in 2014. However, sources said the 30-year-old’s contract was ended via “mutual consent” before permanently joining Boca.

In March 2018, the Red Devils handed Rojo a three-year contract with the option of another year. He had been a veteran of Old Trafford, having been with United since August 2014 following his move from Portuguese top-flight club Sporting Lisbon. However, the Argentine has found opportunities hard to come by and has not played for Solskjaer’s side since November 2019.

Rojo spent the second half of last season on loan at his first club, Estudiantes, and left the Red Devils after making a total of 122 appearances, including in both the 2016 FA Cup final and 2017 League Cup final.

Regardless of how things really played out regarding his United exit, Rojo thanked the Premier League club and the fans in a heartfelt post on his official Instagram account after signing with Boca.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody at Manchester United who have helped me in the last 6 years,” Rojo wrote. “Since arriving in 2014 I have always felt privileged to be part of this incredible club with so much history.”

“Thank you to all the fans who have always supported me when wearing the Manchester United jersey,” he continued. “Now begins a new chapter for me in my career but I will always have Manchester United in my heart.”