Home of football statistics and historyIn many ways, it’s hard to comprehend that Marcus Rashford is in the last 18 months of his Old Trafford contract after signing his mammoth deal in 2019. Indeed, at that stage, you didn’t think the day would come when negotiations would ever have to start up again between the forward and the club, however, with Rashford’s deal up in the summer of 2023, Manchester United will look to begin talks with the 24-year-old before the end of the current campaign.
It should be said that the Red Devils do have the option of extending Rashford’s deal to 2024 but these days, clubs typically begin to get nervous if their players enter the last 24 months of their deals without any intention of signing a new one.
In essence, this sense of urgency is down to trying to safeguard their investment so that they don’t see one of their prized possessions leave for free. In other words, the club’s unofficial stance is to secure the signing of a new contract so that they don’t end up out of pocket.
In Rashford’s case, it’s easy to picture a scenario where the Old Trafford hierarchy presses the issue with even greater intensity so that they avoid a similar situation to what has happened to teammate Jesse Lingard, currently looking set to leave on a free transfer.
With the way that the cards have fallen, it now seems an unavoidable eventuality that Lingard will leave for nothing with the latest transfer betting odds awash with speculation as to where the attacking midfielder will end up. As it stands, West Ham United, currently priced at odds of 1/100 to end up in the top half of the table, seems the most likely destination after an incredibly productive loan spell at the London Stadium, but then again, who can say for sure? The only certainty is that his future doesn’t lie at Old Trafford.
As mentioned, this is a scenario that Manchester United will be desperate to avoid with Rashford, which is why the striker is likely to be offered the same if not better terms as his current £200,000-per-week deal. There will, of course, be a section of the United fanbase who feel slightly uncomfortable at awarding Rashford such a lucrative deal after an indifferent season in front of goal, but one needs to take into account the revolving door of managers at Old Trafford over the last few years and how that has affected the entire squad’s form.
Irrespective of the forward’s goal drought this season, the bottom line remains that Rashford is on course to become a Manchester United great, and his numbers at the club definitely prove this. Indeed, the 24-year-old is only eight games away from 300 first-team appearances and has netted an impressive 93 goals whilst contributing an admirable 59 assists. Should he stay fit and sign another long-term deal with United, then it’s easily viable that Rashford could go on to become one of the all-time leading appearance makers for the club.
After all, another two years at United will see Rashford pushing 450 appearances and only just turning 26. Naturally, this will all depend on whether the upcoming contract negotiations are successful but, if the price is right, then it’s hard to imagine that Rashford won’t commit the best years of his career to the club.
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