Manchester United have made ‘no major steps forward’ in talks to renew Marcus Rashford’s contract at the club.
Rashford’s future is high on the agenda for the Manchester United board as the Red Devils look to secure the long-term future of the in-form forward. The 25-year-old’s current deal will enter its final season this summer, after United triggered a one-year extension in December to prevent Rashford from leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The focus now will be on extending Rashford’s deal for the long term, though The Athletic are reporting that there have been ‘no major steps forward’ in negotiations. There is an acceptance that contract talks are at an early stage and that this will be the biggest contract of the forward’s career.
Rashford has reemerged from a difficult spell to star as one of the Premier League’s best players this season, having scored a career-best 27 goals in all competitions.
He has been the form player in the division since the season’s restart from the World Cup and will not be short of offers should terms not be agreed, with Paris Saint-Germain admirers of the England international.
Rashford can expect to be made one of the Red Devils’ top earners with a new deal, though United must ensure any deal fits into the club’s desire for a new wage structure and meet FFP calculations, after the club amassed the most expensive wage bill in Premier League history last season. Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit has eased those concerns but the club are keen to avoid stratospheric differences in salary inside the dressing room.
United’s immediate focus is on David de Gea, whose current contract expires this summer. The club opted against triggering the automatic one-year extension in the Spaniard’s deal in the hope of agreeing a new contract with the goalkeeper on reduced terms. De Gea is currently the club’s highest earner and receives around £375,000 a week.
