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Marcus Rashford puts pen to paper on a £300,000-a-week deal to stay at Manchester United
Manchester United may announce that Marcus Rashford has signed a new contract as early as Monday.
The England striker has put pen to paper on a new four-year deal that will commit him to Old Trafford until June 2023 although it includes the option of a fifth year.
The contract is understood to be heavily incentivised but if Rashford meets all of his performance-related targets and United deliver on the pitch it could be worth in excess of £300,000 a week to the 21-year-old and will place him at the top end of United’s pay scale, on similar money to Paul Pogba, but behind the highest earner Alexis Sanchez.
Rashford has been linked with Barcelona and other high profile European clubs but he sees his future at Old Trafford in what is a boost for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who plans to build his attack around the academy graduate.
United intend to announce Rashford’s contract before they fly to Australia next week for the start of their pre-season tour although it is understood there is a possibility of an announcement coming as early as Monday.
Having been usurped by Rashford as United’s first choice centre-forward, Romelu Lukaku is keen to be a regular starter and is hoping to secure a move to Inter Milan, whose coach, Antonio Conte, has made the Belgium striker his primary transfer target.
Inter are due to make an initial offer this week whereby they propose loaning Lukaku for two seasons for around £9 million before signing him for a further £53.7 million. That is expected to be rejected by United but could mark the start of a negotiation process. United’s squad are due to report for the start of pre-season training on Monday, with Solskjaer and his staff having designed a summer programme intended to significantly improve fitness levels in the squad.
Solskjaer and his assistant Mike Phelan were concerned United’s players were not fit enough to play the attacking, front-foot football they want last season.
Rashford is due to join up with the squad later in the week. New signing, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose projected £50 million move from Crystal Palace was announced on Saturday, has been given a short holiday following his exploits at the European Under-21 Championships with England but the right back will be part of the tour squad.
Wan-Bissaka’s arrival has triggered suggestions that United would be prepared to let another young right back, Diogo Dalot, leave but well placed sources at the club have dismissed that suggestion and insist the Portuguese remains part of Solskjaer’s plans.
Dalot arrived from Porto for £19 million last summer and was utilised at both right back and in midfield. Although the 20-year-old remains raw, there is a belief he can develop into a leading talent.
United are expected to step up their efforts to sign a midfielder this week, with Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff and Bruno Fernandes, of Sporting Lisbon, among the targets.
Solskjaer is also likely to have talks with Pogba when they finally meet face to face following the France midfielder’s admission that he would like to move and seek a new challenge elsewhere. Real Madrid and Juventus are interested in Pogba but consider United’s £160 million valuation too high.
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