Man Utd and Erik ten Hag are set to enforce a new ‘Ronaldo rule’ which will limit first-team stars’ salaries to a maximum of £200,000-a-week in order control their annual wage bill
Marcus Rashford’s Man Utd future is unclear (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United have implemented a ‘Ronaldo rule’ which could see Marcus Rashford leave the club.
The Red Devils are reportedly set to introduce a new salary cap which will no longer see players receive over £200,000-per-week. The new cap marks a shift in mind-set for the United hierarchy, who are no longer happy to break their wage structure to bring in mega-stars.
Cristiano Ronaldo was handed a mammoth £500,000-a-week deal on his arrival in the summer of 2021. And 25-year-old Rashford could be one of the stars impacted by the change, according to the Daily Mail.
The club will no longer offer mammoth contracts as they did with Cristiano Ronaldo (Image: Getty Images)
Rashford earns a reported £250,000-per-week on his current deal, which can be extended by United for an additional year when it runs out in the summer.
But the club will now face a monumental challenge in convincing their academy graduate to sign a new contract, given their new ‘no-exceptions’ policy means Rashford will need to take a pay-cut to remain at Old Trafford.
The in-form Marcus Rashford is wanted by PSG (Image: Getty Images)
The England international has enjoyed a resurgence this season, scoring 13 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions. That has led to interest from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, who are reportedly willing to double his money.
And Rashford’s recent comments suggest he could be off sooner rather than later. The blistering forward last month openly denied reports that he was set to sign a mammoth new £400,000-a-week deal to keep him at his boyhood club.
David de Gea will need to take a pay-cut to remain at Man Utd (Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper David de Gea will also be one of the first to be impacted by the new changes. The Spaniard currently earns considerably more than United’s other senior players such as Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Casemiro – who are all in the same pay bracket of £180-200,000-per-week.
De Gea, who has been at the club since 2011, has been given a ‘take it or leave it’ offer as his contract expires in the summer. And he could be just the first to leave as Erik ten Hag looks to build for the future.
Harry Maguire is now 1/6 to join Aston Villa after being ‘spotted’ near club’s training ground
Featured Image Credit: Alamy – Twitter/@UtdChronicIes
The odds on Harry Maguire joining Aston Villa before the January window slams shut have been slashed to 1/6 after he was ‘spotted’ near the club’s training ground.
Maguire, who continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford, has fallen down the pecking order following the summer arrival of Lisandro Martinez.
He had a strong showing with England at this winter’s World Cup, forming a solid partnership with John Stones.
But the former Leicester defender has been overlooked by manager Erik ten Hag since returning from international duty. In fact, Luke Shaw was selected ahead of him against Nottingham Forest and Wolves at the end of December.
Maguire’s name continues to feature in the daily rumour mill and this weekend, speculation intensified regarding his future after he was spotted in the West Midlands.
Firstly, Lichfield bar Le Rêve posted a picture of the England international “enjoying the atmosphere” on their Instagram page. They wrote on Sunday: “It was a pleasure to have Manchester United captain and England player Marry Maguire in last night.”
A quick Google search tells us that Le Rêve is a 23-minute drive from Bodymoor Heath, where Aston Villa’s training ground is located.
And soon, another picture emerged which reportedly shows Maguire alongside his agent.
As a result, the odds on Maguire joining Unai Emery’s side have fallen dramatically. Sky Bet have pinned him at 1/6 to sign for the Premier League outfit before February 3rd.
Tottenham are second favourites at 14/1, while Chelsea [20/1], former club Leicester [25/1] and high-flying Newcastle [33/1] are also mentioned in the race to sign the centre-back.
After United’s win against Wolves last month, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said Maguire should be looking to leave Old Trafford after Luke Shaw was selected ahead of him.
“This is not long-term,” Ferdinand told BT Sport as Shaw started as centre-back.
“It did raise my eyebrows when I saw Lindelof and Maguire on the bench. If they weren’t fit they wouldn’t be on the bench. If they weren’t able to play some part of the game they wouldn’t be on the bench.”
Image credit: Alamy
He added: “It shows what he [ten Hag] thinks of those two guys when he is playing Luke Shaw at centre-half.
“If I’m Harry Maguire, I am looking for a new club right now, I have to be honest. You saw what he does for England, he is impeccable for England, he is faultless for England. He puts in good, solid performances for England.
“At Manchester United, it just hasn’t worked out for him. This manager, it is showing in his team selection that he is not going to be one of the top two, three centre-halves in his squad.
“So I am thinking if I am him in his shoes, I would be saying, find me somewhere else where I can go and enjoy my football and be playing regularly.”
Thoughts on Maguire’s future? Do you think he would flourish at Aston Villa?
Let us know in the comments.
Source: dailystar.co.uk; sportbible.com
