Man Utd 'close' to agreeing new £300k-a-week deal for Marcus Rashford in hope of fending off Barcelona

The Red Devils striker has just one season left on his current deal but is now demanding the money Wayne Rooney was on at Old Trafford

Posted Thursday, April 11, 2019 by Thesun.co.uk

Man Utd 'close' to agreeing new £300k-a-week deal for Marcus Rashford in hope of fending off Barcelona
Marcus Rashford is hopeful of agreeing a new £300,000-per-week, five-year contract at Manchester United

MARCUS RASHFORD is 'closing in' on signing a new £300,000-per-week deal at Manchester United, according to reports.

The Red Devils ace, 21, is out of contract at Old Trafford next season and is understood to be a target for Barcelona.

But according to the Mirror, Rashford and United are in 'advanced talks' over a new five-year deal to which would see the academy graduate earn a staggering £78million.

The England striker is understood to want to stay at his boyhood club - who have a 12-month extension clause they can trigger - but feels he deserves a massive pay rise.

Rashford is currently on around £80,000 a week but has his eye on the £300,000 Wayne Rooney was pocketing each week until he returned to Everton in 2017.

However, the arrival of Alexis Sanchez on £505,000 per week just six months later will not help Rashford's cause - just as David De Gea has discovered.

The United goalkeeper is yet to agree a new deal at Old Trafford with his wage demands still not met despite having one year left on his contract.

Both Rashford and De Gea are far more likely to have their wage demands met if the club can get Sanchez off the wage bill.

Rashford has 11 goals in his last 22 appearances, including nine in 19 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after struggling under Jose Mourinho.

He is therefore understandably being monitored by some of Europe's biggest clubs - especially with his contract still not resolved.

One of those is thought to be tonight's opponents Barca, who arrived in Manchester yesterday ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Reports last week suggested the Catalan club were prepared to offer United £100m for Rashford, who they view as a long-term successor to Luis Suarez at the Nou Camp.

But missing out on Rashford could see Barcelona go in for Antoine Griezmann again or Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Luka Jovic.

The striker is expected to start at Old Trafford tonight after sitting out of the Wolves defeat through illness and could be part of a menacing front three with Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial.