TEAMtalk can reveal the latest on Marcus Rashford’s ongoing contract talks with Manchester United, those ‘crazy’ mega salary rumours and just how concrete PSG’s interest was in the England forward.
The 25-year-old, who has been in sensational form this season with 27 goals to his name, will be out of contract in the summer of 2024 but talks over a new deal have so far stalled.
In December, Man Utd activated their option to extend his contract by 12 months from 2023 into 2024 to give them some breathing space. However, given his stunning form this season, they are now trying to get the striker signed up long-term.
We revealed on Saturday that the Red Devils are ready to make Rashford their highest-paid outfield player at £300,000-a-week, which is way off the reported £500k-a-week he was asking for.
And Ben Jacobs has revealed that all parties are keen on getting the deal signed off, while also addressing those links to PSG.
Jacobs said: “Rashford and the desire from all parties is to get to a new deal.
“There’s been links with PSG and it’s 100% true that PSG spoke to Rashford’s people, and were willing to make a very lucrative offer. But nothing ever advanced because PSG always felt that they were being played a little bit.
“There’s nothing sinister about that, it’s normal, but they felt like the priority of Rashford was to stay at Manchester United. And as a result, they didn’t feel like they had a legitimate chance of moving when they held talks with Rashford.”
Rashford has strong desire to stay at Old Trafford
Despite those talks with PSG, Rashford still wants nothing more than to continue to play for his boyhood club.
And Jacobs added: “Now, flashing forwards, Rashford’s even happier and in even better form.
“You can see that Manchester United are heading towards Champions League football. So all the suitors are weakened, and Rashford will continue to talk to United to try and agree a new deal.
“And I think it’s clear that it’s the priority of Rashford and the priority of Manchester United whether under the Glazers, or new ownership to get that deal done.
“So Rashford has already corrected reports out there that he’s not asking for some sky-high, crazy number like half a million a week. But of course, he’ll be well compensated.
“We wait and see now what kind of agreement the parties can come to, but I think Manchester United are a lot calmer now compared to the summer because they believe that Rashford’s number one priority is to stay.
“So now it’s not so much a concern it falls perhaps more into that Saka-like negotiation whereby there’s a real belief it will get done.
“It’s just a case of when and to what financial nature which is why it may take time. But in the same way that Arsenal never really felt like Saka would get poached, I think now Manchester United believe exactly the same thing that Rashford will extend.”
Rashford is expected to recover from injury that ruled him out of England action in the international break to start Sunday’s crucial top-four clash with Newcastle at St James’ Park.
