Grace Clinton is staying! Man Utd trigger contract extension for Lioness as Red Devils bid to avoid losing another England star after Mary Earps & Alessia Russo exits

Clinton's current deal was set to expire this summer, making many United fans nervous about losing yet another of their top talents, with Mary Earps, Alessia Russo and Ona Batlle among those to have left for free in recent seasons. But, unlike those cases, the club had the option of another year in Clinton's contract and they've now activated that, ensuring the 21-year-old will have least one more season with the Red Devils.

Clinton's stock has risen dramatically in the past 12 months. A loan spell at Tottenham last term allowed her to have her breakthrough on a Women's Super League stage, which then led to recognition with England. The midfielder, who can also play out wide, made her Lionesses debut last February and is now knocking on the door of Sarina Wiegman's starting XI ahead of the European Championships this summer.

There would no doubt be a number of top clubs interested in Clinton if she was to near free agency, and that is likely to remain the case as she now looks set to enter the final year of her contract when the next season begins. But Manchester United will hope that they can tie the young star down to a longer deal in due course, with this one-year option giving them more time to sort that.

Following the winter break, Clinton and Manchester United will be back in action this weekend when they host third-tier West Brom in the FA Cup fourth round. The Red Devils won the competition last year, though Clinton was not involved in that success as she was on loan at Tottenham - the team Marc Skinner's side beat to lift the trophy at Wembley. It meant she couldn't play in the final, meaning she'll be even more motivated to help United get back there.