A new incentive-based salary scheme will reduce the striker's bargaining power as the club consider a first senior deal, with any offer to be loaded with performance targets
A new pay structure at Manchester United is set to end Marcus Rashford’s hopes of cashing in big after making a phenomenal start to his senior career.
The 18-year-old striker netted two game-changing goals on his first-team debut in the 5-1 victory over FC Midtjylland last week and followed up three days later with another key double to help United to a 3-2 Premier League win against Arsenal.
And United have reacted to Rashford’s explosive impact by beginning to prepare a first senior contract for the youngster, whose current deal is only worth around £500 a week and runs out in the summer of 2017.
However, the club are keen not to repeat the mistakes made in similar situations in years gone by, which saw the likes of Federico Macheda and Adnan Januzaj handed extraordinary pay rises soon after breaking into the first team.
Italian striker Macheda was handed a four-year contract worth in excess of £20,000 per week just months after his senior debut, while Januzaj’s five-year, £50,000 a week deal came just two months on from his own emergence in the United side.
As a result, the club is set to employ a new tiered payment structure which will see young players offered a more modest maiden senior deal, but accelerated uplifts will be available based on performance targets.
Rashford and contemporaries such as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Tim Fosu-Mensah all remain eligible for win bonuses of around £9,000 regardless of their personal terms, but the new phased salary scheme looks likely to cap initial weekly basic pay at around £15,000 for those signing senior contracts for the first time.
Rashford could well feature for United once more on Sunday as they take on West Brom at The Hawthorns, with the local product’s form having helped the Red Devils to a current four-match winning run.
- Goal