Marcus Rashford appears to hold all the cards as his contract negotiations with Manchester United drag on – especially given that Paris Saint-Germain made a huge offer for him last summer.
And because of how much money they were willing to pay him, United might have to break a new salary cap introduced by Erik ten Hag.
Rashford has been in the form of his life, scoring a total of 27 goals in 44 appearances – his best goalscoring return in a season.
His performances have been integral to United’s success, with him being named Premier League Player of the Month three times already this season.
Ongoing contract issues
Ten Hag has been very impressed with the form of his player, describing him as “unstoppable” following United’s victory against Nottingham Forest in January.
But ongoing contract negotiations have cast a shadow over that success, with Rashford’s boss eager to tie him down to a new deal.
“Of course [Rashford’s new contract] is a priority,” Ten Hag said after his forward scored two goals against Leicester City. “We are working on that, just sit and wait, but in the background we work hard. Of course [we have to keep him].”
Ten Hag’s new salary rule
Those talks have been complicated, however, by the fact that Ten Hag is eager to bring down the average salary of the United dressing room with a new cap.
Dubbed the “Ronaldo Rule” due to the Portuguese striker’s huge salary of £400,000 per week at United, The Daily Mail reported in January that Ten Hag wanted to cap salaries at £200,000 a week to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
Their latest annual wage bill was estimated to have been £228 million – the highest in the Premier League.
It would impact players such as David De Gea, who currently earns £375,000 a week and whose contract expires at the end of this season, as well as Rashford whose contract is up the following summer.
The English forward currently earns £200,000 a week, according to Capology.
Ten Hag could be forced to break the cap
Considering his performances, Rashford should be in line for a pay rise beyond the £200,000 cap. And following reports today, Ten Hag and United could be left with little choice but to break that new rule for him.
The Athletic reported this morning that Rashford had attracted interest from PSG last summer, with sources informing them that the Parisian club had offered to double his wages to more than £400,000 per week.
That interest has also reportedly not diminished, so while Ten Hag might be keen to address the wage bill at United, he might have little choice about how much he pays his star player.
While the offer of more money might be tempting for Rashford, The Athletic does say that there has already been a lot of agreement on both sides.
Additionally, The Mirror wrote last month that Ten Hag is ready to ignore his new policy to keep Rashford at the club.
It is hard to imagine Rashford anywhere other than United. And given his performances, it is hard to imagine United will let him go.
