MANCHESTER UNITED
Reports suggest Marcus Rashford is delaying signing a new contract with Manchester United amid ownership change
The 25-year-old striker is said to be waiting for the ownership debacle to end before signing a new deal with the club.
Marcus Rashford took the ball under his foot like a mousetrap slams itself closed in less than a second. The England player looked on, motionless and emotionless before snapping into action. He quickly tapped the ball, now spellbound, forward a few inches; the defenders, for some reason, probably fear, retreated. The sun was still shining in Seville at 9 p.m. as Spain gets gradually warmer for the incoming summer but Rashford had not one bead of sweat on his brow: as cool as you like.
Working on autopilot, one extra flick of the boot sent his body into the final phase, slowing his run, allowing extra room between him and the ball like a magically-appearing runway extending itself out across the ground before he closed the gap and propelled the ball forward, veering left then right, twisting and spinning and piercing through the air. The goalkeeper dived - a token effort - and the net crackled as the ball thrashed into it. Manchester United beat Real Betis in the Europa League with ease, but it was their talisman who led the show, sinking the Spanish side in Seville.
PSG are interested in Rashford’s situation
As the clock for the deadline regarding bids for the club ticks on, so does the deadline for Rashford to sign a deal, precisely so bids don’t arrive for him. The player will have 12 months remaining on his contract when the 22/23 season ends, meaning that if a deal is not agreed before next January, Rashford could potentially leave Manchester United on a free transfer. And according to reports in England, time is of the essence as the player is not keen to sign a new deal right away, instead preferring to wait and see what happens in terms of the new ownership of the club.
The 25-year-old has scored 27 goals this season and local press in Manchester reports that the player is very well liked by PSG, who would be willing to sign him. Manager Erik ten Hag said last month that Rashford’s contract “is a priority”, although it seems now that the player has taken things into his own hands and is dictating how things are to be done.
Who has the highest wages at Manchester United?
The player is currently said to be on a deal worth £200,000 per week however the club are not keen to add more weight to the wage structure and surpass the £300,000 barrier: what Casemiro earns; the highest-paid player at the club is David De Gea, who is reportedly on a deal that earns him £375,000 a week.
Swedish defender Victor Lindelof, 28, who has a year left on his contract, is also said to be monitoring the situation and will decide on his future at the end of the season.
